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Added 9 October 2026

exceed

/ɪkˈsiːd/ verb

Latin root: excēdō Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about exceed at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Be greater in scope or size than some standard.
Their loyalty exceeds their national bonds
Be superior or better than some standard.
She exceeded our expectations
Be or do something to a greater degree.
her performance surpasses that of any other student I know

Origin

From Middle English exceden, from Old French exceder, from Latin excēdō (“to go beyond”), from ex- (“out, forth”) with cēdō (“to go”); see cede and compare accede etc. Partly displaced native Old English ofersteppan, whence Modern English overstep.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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