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To go beyond in anything good or bad; to exceed; to excel. This would surpass Common revenge and interrupt his joy. Milton.

That may be surpassed.

Eminently excellent; exceeding others. "With surpassing glory crowned." Milton. -- Sur*pass"ing*ly, adv. -- Sur*pass"ing*ness, n.

Figuratively, higher than; superior to in any respect; surpassing; beyond; higher in measure or degree than; as, things above comprehension; above mean actions; conduct above reproach. "Thy worth . . . is actions above my gifts." Marlowe. I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun. Acts xxxvi.…

ness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat. [The exploits] of the ancient saints . . . do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes. Barrow. The highest achievements of the human intellect. Macaulay.

To surpass; to get the better of. [Colloq.]

To go before in time or place; to precede; to surpass. Sir M. Hale.

Superior; surpassing; ruling. An ascendant spirit over him. South. The ascendant community obtained a surplus of wealth. J. S. Mill. Without some power of persuading or confuting, of defending himself against accusations, . . . no man could possibly hold an ascendent position. Grote.

To surpass in council. [Obs.] Men may the olde atrenne, but hat atrede. Chaucer.

To overcome in a battle, contest, strife, race, game, etc.; to vanquish or conquer; to surpass. He beat them in a bloody battle. Prescott. For loveliness, it would be hard to beat that. M. Arnold.

To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel. The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered. Hooker.

In a degree or amount exceeding or surpassing; proceeding to a greater degree than; above, as in dignity, excellence, or quality of any kind. "Beyond expectation." Barrow. Beyond any of the great men of my country. Sir P. Sidney. Beyond sea. (Law) See under Sea. -- To go beyond, to exceed in ingenuity, in research, or…

ree. We must look higher for the climax of earthly good. I. Taylor. To cap the climax, to surpass everything, as in excellence or in absurdity. [Colloq.]

ummated; perfected. "Crowned with one crest." Shak. "Crowned with conquest." Milton. With surpassing glory crowned. Milton.

To outstrip by as much as a distance (see Distance, n., 3); to leave far behind; to surpass greatly. He distanced the most skillful of his contemporaries. Milner.

A minister of the gospel; a priest; a clergyman. The first divines of New England were surpassed by none in extensive erudition. J. Woodbridge.

guish the beauty, luster, honor, etc., of; to sully; to cloud; to throw into the shade by surpassing. "His eclipsed state." Dryden. My joy of liberty is half eclipsed. Shak.

Surpassing; extraordinary; distinguished (in a bad sense); -- formerly used with words importing a good quality, but now joined with words having a bad sense; as, an egregious rascal; an egregious ass; an egregious mistake. The egregious impudence of this fellow. Bp. Hall. His [Wyclif's] egregious labors are not to be…

One who emulates, or strives to equal or surpass. As Virgil rivaled Homer, Milton was the emulator of both. Bp. Warburton.

to this duty with a fervid assiduity that has not often been exampled, and has never been surpassed. J. Morley.