outperform

American  

[out-per-fawrm] / ˌaʊt pərˈfɔrm /

verb (used with object)

1. to surpass in excellence of performance; do better than.

   a new engine that outperforms the competition; a stock that outperformed all others.

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outperform British  

/ ˌaʊtpəˈfɔːm /

verb

1. to perform better than (someone or something)

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Etymology

Origin of outperform

First recorded in 1955–60; out- + perform

Explanation

To outperform is to accomplish something in a better or more impressive way that someone else. In a marathon, the younger runners usually outperform the very oldest ones. Whenever you surpass or beat the record of another person, you can say you outperform them. Experienced workers frequently outperform newer employees, and pundits like to worry aloud about students in other countries who outperform American kids on standardized tests. You can also say that an investment that makes more money outperforms a less profitable one.

Example Sentences

The company said it found that the tool can outperform humans at some hacking and cyber-security tasks, prompting discussions by regulators, legislators and financial institutions about the dangers it could pose to digital services.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Managers who demonstrate this skill can significantly outperform otherwise similar funds, and this outperformance reaches close to 2% per year following quarters in which managers make large changes to their factor exposures.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

These dividend-paying stable winners are likely to outperform a meme-themed ETF.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

They will also look at the industry sectors best-positioned to outperform.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Desaguliers and a friend later built models of both the Savery and the Newcomen engines: despite his extraordinary expertise, Desaguliers was plainly taken aback to see the Savery engine outperform the Newcomen engine.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• exceed
• outrun
• surpass