surpassed

Surpassed is the past tense and past participle of the verb surpass. It means to go beyond or exceed someone or something, or to do better than a standard, expectation, or competitor. Surpassed can describe performances, measurements, records, or achievements that have been exceeded.

Origin and form: The verb is built from the prefix sur- meaning over or above and the root pass meaning to go, with development influenced by Old French surpasser. As a transitive verb, surpassed takes a direct object (you can surpass someone or something) and can appear in the passive voice (The record was surpassed). The present participle is surpassing, used for ongoing action or as an adjective in certain constructions.

Usage notes: Common collocations include surpass expectations, surpass a record, and surpass competitors. Surpassed emphasizes completion relative to a benchmark, while surpassing can describe ongoing progress (surpassing limits). The phrase “to have surpassed” often appears in reporting and analysis, especially in sports, science, and finance.

Examples: The team’s score surpassed 100 points. Her speed surpassed the previous record by two seconds. The forecast surpassed expectations. The study’s findings surpassed all prior theories, prompting further research.

Related terms: Synonyms include exceed, outdo, outstrip, and transcend, each with its own nuance. Exceed implies going beyond a limit; outdo emphasizes outperforming a rival; outstrip suggests surpassing by a greater margin; transcend conveys going beyond limits in a more abstract sense.