Verb

(excell)

To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.

* '>citation

    La Rochefoucauld, the French philosopher, said: "If
you want enemies, excel' your friends; but if you want
friends, let your friends '''excel''' you."
    Why is that true? Because when our friends '''excel''' us,
that gives them a feeling of importance; but when we ' excel
them, that gives them a feeling of inferiority and arouses
envy and jealousy.

I excelled everyone else with my exam results.

To be much better than others.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=November 12 , author= , title=International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Lescott gave his finest England performance alongside his former Everton team-mate Phil Jagielka, who also excelled despite playing with a fractured toe, while Parker was given a deserved standing ovation when he was substituted late on.}}

* 1924 : ARISTOTLE. Metaphysics . Translated by W. D. Ross. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001. Available at: . Book 1, Part 2.

If, then, there is something in what the poets say, and jealousy is natural to the divine power, it would probably occur in this case above all, and all who excelled in this knowledge would be unfortunate.

(rare) To exceed, to go beyond

* 1674 , Paradise lost, , by Milton

She opened; but to shut / Excelled her power: the gates wide open stood

* XIX century , , by Emily Dickinson

I reason, we could die : / The best vitality / Cannot excel decay; / But what of that?

Verb

to shine brighter than something else

to exceed something or someone else, especially in an obvious or flamboyant manner

*{{quote-news

, year=2012 , date=December 29 , author=Paul Doyle , title=Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=Four minutes later Walcott, who until then had been redundant as a lone striker owing to one-star service, was given his first decent pass of the game and duly took his chance to outshine the Senegalese, springing a poorly conceived offside trap to collect Lukas Podolski's ball and stroke a low 15-yard shot past Tim Krul and into the far corner. }}

To shine forth.

* Shakespeare

Bright, outshining beams.