Outperformed

Outperformed is the past tense form of the verb outperform, meaning to perform better than another person, group, system, or measure. It is used to indicate relative superiority in performance across a variety of domains, including finance, sports, technology, academia, and business. The term implies a comparison where one party achieves a higher level of success or effectiveness than another.

As a transitive verb, outperform is used with an object: for example, "The fund outperformed the benchmark" or "The team outperformed its rivals." The passive voice is also common: "The benchmark was outperformed by the fund." It is typically followed by the entity being compared or by a benchmark, and it may be accompanied by a quantitative indication of the difference, such as by a certain percentage or points.

In finance, outperformed performance is measured against indices or peer funds. In sports and games, athletes or teams may outscore or outpace opponents. In research and technology, models, algorithms, or products are said to outperform baselines or competing solutions based on predefined criteria like accuracy, efficiency, or revenue impact. The related term underperform describes the opposite outcome, while synonyms include surpass, exceed, and eclipse.

Etymology notes: outperformed is formed from the prefix out- meaning to surpass, plus perform, reflecting its sense of exceeding a standard of performance. It remains a common, neutral term in analytical and evaluative writing.