ikˈsēd, ek- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English exceden, from Middle French exceder, from Latin excedere, from ex- ex- (I) + cedere to go, proceed — more at cede
transitive verb
1. : to extend outside of or enlarge beyond — used chiefly in strictly physical relations
if this rain keeps up, the river will exceed its banks by morning
2.
a. : to be greater than or superior to : surpass
his brother exceeds him in height
their accomplishment exceeded our expectation
the cost must not exceed one year's income
b. : to be too much for : be beyond the comprehension of
the mercy of God exceeds our finite minds
3. : to go beyond a limit set by (as an authority or privilege) : do more than is justified by or allowable under (as a commission or order)
he exceeded his authority when he paid his brother's gambling debts with money from the trust
the captain exceeded his orders when he quartered men in private houses
intransitive verb
1. obsolete
a. : to go too far : pass the proper or usual bounds (as of conduct)
b. : to eat or drink to excess
2. : to stand out among or be more or greater than others : predominate
Synonyms:
surpass , transcend , excel , outdo , outstrip : exceed indicates a going over or topping what is under consideration in a companion or what is set as a standard or limit
far exceeding the production figures from last year
an Inferno which exceeds anything that Dante imagined — Henry Miller
the number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand — U.S. Constitution
he seemed to think I'd exceeded my authority in disposing of the rebels as I saw fit — Kenneth Roberts
surpass is a close synonym of exceed; it is likely to be used in reference to superiorty in quality, merit, virtue, or skill, although it may be used to describe what is more evil or reprehensible
he wanted himself to surpass Caesar in deeds and his legions to surpass the achievements of the legions of Caesar — J.T.Farrell
in the moral essence of tragedy it is safe to say that in this play Middleton is surpassed by one Elizabethan alone, and that is Shakespeare — T.S.Eliot
in the imputation of things evil and in putting the worst construction on things innocent, a certain type of good people may be trusted to surpass all others — Rudyard Kipling
his tyrannies surpassed those of his predecessor
transcend may suggest a rising notably or remarkably above an accustomed standard or level
sorrow transcending all sorrows, darker than death, immitigable, eternal — W.H.Hudson †1922
in Virgil we find that divine afflatus which transcends the most balanced wisdom and the deftest technical skill — John Buchan
certain problems are raised, if an ideal, embodied into law, transcends the “realities” too far — Reinhold Niebuhr
In intransitive uses excel implies reaching a preeminence in accomplishment or achievement; in transitive ones it is a close synonym of surpass
excelling in terse narrative
excelling in athletics
during their seminary years he had easily surpassed his friend in scholarship, but he always realized that Joseph excelled him in the fervor of his faith — Willa Cather
if some excelled him in learning and scholarly productivity, not many surpassed him in personal attractiveness — H.E.Starr
outdo , a more colloquial word, may apply to topping, bettering, or exceeding what has been done before
the military engines he devised for the defense of Syracuse seem never to have been outdone in the ancient world — Benjamin Farrington
a competition in deceit in which, I admit, he outdid them — Owen Wister
outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition or similar endeavor
swimming was his chief delight, and so it came about that one day when he was far from land, having outstripped all his fellows in a race, he was hardly surprised to see a dolphin plunging alongside of him — Norman Douglas
bituminous coal had far outstripped anthracite in the industrial markets — S.A.Hale
instead of allowing his reader the easy victory, he takes pride in outstripping him completely — Edmund Wilson