# outperform

/ˈaʊtpɝˌfɔɹm/ (US) · /aʊtpəfˈɔːm/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/outperform
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

to do something better, faster, or more successfully than someone or something else.

For teachers: to surpass or exceed the performance of a competitor, peer, or previous benchmark.

## Examples

- The new model will outperform the older version in speed tests.
- Small tech startups often outperform larger corporations because they can adapt to market changes more quickly.
- Despite the economic downturn, the company managed to outperform its rivals by diversifying its investment portfolio and cutting unnecessary operational costs.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The stock outperformed than the market average." but "The stock outperformed the market average." — Outperform is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition like 'than' or 'over' before the object.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the entity being surpassed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.