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View synonyms for excel

excel

[ ik-sel ]

verb (used without object)

, ex·celled, ex·cel·ling.
  1. to surpass others or be superior in some respect or area; do extremely well:

    to excel in math.



verb (used with object)

, ex·celled, ex·cel·ling.
  1. to surpass; be superior to; outdo:

    He excels all other poets of his day.

    Synonyms: beat, top, exceed, transcend, eclipse, outstrip

excel

/ ɪkˈsɛl /

verb

  1. to be superior to (another or others); surpass
  2. intr; foll by in or at to be outstandingly good or proficient

    he excels at tennis

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Other Words From

  • unex·celled adjective
  • unex·celling adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of excel1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French exceller, from Latin excellere, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + -cellere “to rise high, tower” (akin to celsus “high”)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of excel1

C15: from Latin excellere to rise up
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Synonym Study

Excel, outdo, surpass imply being better than others or being superior in achievement. To excel is to be superior in some quality, attainment, or performance: to excel opponents at playing chess. To outdo is to make more successful effort than others: to outdo competitors in the high jump. To surpass is to go beyond others, especially in a contest as to quality or ability: to surpass one's classmates in knowledge of corporation law.
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Example Sentences

The drill and impact driver themselves are powered by brushless motors and are designed to be lighter and more compact than traditional alternatives, which allow them to excel in tight spaces and during repetitive jobs.

Settings, where a smaller-than-average toaster oven might excel, include small apartment kitchens, auxiliary kitchens, entertaining spaces, RVs, offices, bars, and more.

Fullbright, a video game studio based in Portland, has long excelled at weaving compelling stories that focus on places and the people that inhabited them.

The Swiss company has excelled in producing computer products since 1981, and it has emerged as a leading manufacturer of affordable mechanical keyboards with a wider range of choices than gamer-focused Corsair.

It was an outlet for us to excel and deal with our frustration, and all that.

From Ozy

Life seemed to have little meaning; a need to excel was almost gone.

Can it be exported to Excel, or a comma-separated file, for instance?

In her own way, Woodley is inspiring young women to succeed and excel.

One of her deputy chiefs of staff keeps track of the tracker, an Excel spreadsheet, she says.

It made my journey a longer one, but I really wanted to excel in the theater.

English connoisseurs suffer those of no other nation to excel them in their collections.

At his best period, however, his instruments are of rare beauty and merit, and equal or perhaps excel those of Stradiuarius.

All decorative painting, carving, and inlaying is done by them; in short, they excel in all ingenious mechanical arts.

Great actions command admiration, and none of modern times excel those of the patriot exile, Parson Brownlow, of Tennessee.

The English excel in pantomime as much as the French in comedy.

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