Goes beyond or exceeds something in quality, amount, or ability; is better than something else.
From Old French 'surpasser,' combining 'sur-' (over, beyond) and 'passer' (to pass or go). The prefix and root literally mean 'to go beyond' or 'to pass over.'
The word comes from 'passer'—the same root as 'pass,' 'passage,' and 'passport'—so when you surpass something, you're literally passing it and leaving it behind on your way to something better.
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