verb (used with object)
- to go beyond in amount, extent, or degree; be greater than; exceed.
- to go beyond in excellence or achievement; be superior to; excel: He surpassed his brother in sports.
- to be beyond the range or capacity of; transcend: misery that surpasses description.
adjective
- superior in achievement or excellence to any otherof an unsurpassed quality
verb (tr)
- to be greater than in degree, extent, etc
- to be superior to in achievement or excellence
- to overstep the limit or range ofthe theory surpasses my comprehension
adj.1775, from un- (1) “not” + past participle of surpass. v.1550s, from Middle French surpasser “go beyond, exceed, excel,” from Old French sur- “beyond” (see sur-) + passer “to go by” (see pass (v.)). Related: Surpassed; surpassing.