Word Verb
outdo
v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˌaʊtˈdu/ UK /aʊtdˈuː/ out·do UK spelling outdoes, outdone
Definition
v.to do something better or more successfully than someone else. You use this when you want to show that you are the best at a task.
v.to surpass or exceed another in quality, quantity, or achievement. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the person or thing being compared.
Examples
“She tried to outdo her brother in the science fair.”
“The rival company tried to outdo our marketing campaign by offering even more discounts to customers.”
“In a culture that values individual achievement, many students feel pressured to outdo their peers by taking on increasingly difficult extracurricular activities.”
Etymology
From out- + do.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated