peerless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- peerlessly adverb
- peerlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of peerless
First recorded in 1275–1325, peerless is from the Middle English word pereles. See peer 2, -less
Explanation
Do you ever feel like one of a kind? Then maybe you are peerless, a word for someone (or something) unique, excellent, and superior. Peerless is a variation of peer — a word for folks in the same boat as you, or at least the same class. A teacher's peers are other teachers, but if she's a much better teacher than anyone, you could call her a peerless teacher. One of the many compliments given to Michael Jordan is that he was peerless. Amazing, one-of-a-kind people like Picasso, Gandhi, and Shakespeare are considered peerless. The rest of us have a lot of peers.
Vocabulary lists containing peerless
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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Power Suffix: -less
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“On Hold” best married the band’s two worlds, sample-soaked yet rock driven; “Angels” remained a peerless devotional ballad.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
Affectionate fans venerate the dialogue’s electric crackle and the cast’s peerless comedic timing.
From Salon • Jan. 31, 2026
Alcaraz and Sinner, peerless at the moment, seem poised to carry the sport into the next decade.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
The rap that has dogged Snell throughout his career: peerless stuff with erratic control, leading to him too often making 90 to 100 pitches in five innings rather than seven or eight.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2025
Odysseus now addressed Alkinoos: “O majesty, model of all your folk, your promise was to show me peerless dancers; here is the promise kept. I am all wonder.”
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
