ENGLISH
REFERENCE

surpassing

adj.
C1 Advanced US //sɝˈpæsɪŋ// UK //səpˈɑːsɪŋ// sur·pass·ing

adj. describing something that is much better or greater than anything else of its kind.

adj. exceeding expectations or standard limits; exceptional in degree or quality. Often used to describe abstract qualities like beauty, skill, or intelligence.


SIMPLE

The view from the mountain top is of surpassing beauty.

CONTEXTUAL

She showed a surpassing talent for mathematics even before she started primary school.

COMPLEX

The composer's final symphony was a work of surpassing complexity, weaving together themes that had appeared separately throughout his earlier career.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun to emphasize an extreme or superior quality.

Pitfall

He is surpassing at tennisHe is surpassing in his tennis skillsWhile 'surpassing' describes a quality, it is rarely used as a predicative adjective to describe a person directly; it usually modifies a specific noun like 'skill' or 'beauty'.

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