excel

verb

ex·​cel ik-ˈsel How to pronounce excel (audio)
excelled; excelling
Synonyms of excelnext

transitive verb

: to be superior to : surpass in accomplishment or achievement

intransitive verb

: to be distinguishable by superiority : surpass others
excel in sports
excelled at lipreading

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for excel

exceed, surpass, transcend, excel, outdo, outstrip mean to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree.

exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement.

exceed the speed limit

surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill.

the book surpassed our expectations

transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits.

transcended the values of their culture

excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others.

excels in mathematics

outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before.

outdid herself this time

outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition.

outstripped other firms in sales

Examples of excel in a Sentence

She excels everyone else in sports. the special effects in this new sci-fi extravaganza excel any that we've seen previously
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
He’s raised his OPS each of the last three seasons and most recently excelled in the Arizona Fall League, with five home runs and a .317 average in 19 games. —Phil Rogers, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 People with this placement excel at breaking down complicated ideas and finding the most effective and efficient solutions. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024 With strategic and transformative leadership skills, Charisma has excelled in the business world. —Jennifer Pierce, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024 Pavia has excelled for the Commodores this fall, throwing for 2,029 yards with 16 touchdown passes against only three interceptions. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for excel 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English excellen, from Latin excellere, from ex- + -cellere to rise, project; akin to Latin collis hill — more at hill

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of excel was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing excel

Dictionary Entries Near excel

exceedingly

excel

excellence

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Excel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excel. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

excel

verb
ex·​cel ik-ˈsel How to pronounce excel (audio)
excelled; excelling
: to do or be better than others : surpass
a student who excels in sports
excels her brother at tennis

More from Merriam-Webster on excel

Nglish: Translation of excel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of excel for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...