/ik sel"/ , v. , excelled, excelling .
v.i.
1. to surpass others or be superior in some respect or area; do extremely well: to excel in math.
v.t.
2. to surpass; be superior to; outdo: He excels all other poets of his day.
[ 1400-50; late ME excellen excellere, equiv. to ex- EX- 1 + - cellere to rise high, tower (akin to celsus high) ]
Syn. 2. outstrip, eclipse, transcend, exceed, top, beat. 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, esp. in a contest as to quality or ability: to surpass one's classmates in knowledge of corporation law.