1. be exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject: "she excelled at landscape painting"Similarshinebe very goodbe excellentbe brilliantbe outstandingbe skilfulbe talentedbe proficientbe expertbe pre-eminentreign supremewear the crownstand outbe the bestbe unrivalledbe unparalleledbe unequalledbe without equalbe second to nonebe unsurpassedrare:be unexampledsurpassoutdooutshineoutclassoutstripbeatbeat hollowtopcaptranscendbe better thanbe superior togo one better thanbetterpasseclipseovershadowput in the shadeput to shameinformal:bestleave standingbe head and shoulders abovebe a cut abovearchaic:extinguishoutrivaloutvie
▪ perform exceptionally well:"the keeper excelled himself to keep out an Elliott header"
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin excellere, from ex- ‘out, beyond’ + celsus ‘lofty’.
