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Excel vs Surpasses - What's the difference?

excel | surpasses |

As verbs the difference between excel and surpasses

is that excel is to surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something while surpasses is third-person singular of surpass.

As a proper noun Excel

is a spreadsheet application software program written and distributed by Microsoft.

excel

English

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?

    surpasses

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (surpass)
  • ----

    surpass

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To go beyond, especially in a metaphoric or technical manner; to exceed.
  • The former problem student surpassed his instructor's expectations and scored top marks on his examination.
    The heavy rains threatened to surpass the capabilities of the levee, endangering the town on the other side.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
  • , title= , chapter=2 citation , passage=“Two or three months more went by?; the public were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this semi-exotic claimant to an English peerage, and sensations, surpassing those of the Tichbourne case, were looked forward to with palpitating interest. […]”}}

    See also

    * exceed * excel * outdo * outstrip