outdone
Verb (past participle of outdo): 1. To have surpassed or exceeded someone else in performance or achievement: "outdone" means having done better than another person or group, especially in a competitive or comparative context. 2. To have been surpassed by one's own previous efforts: used reflexively in the phrase "to have outdone oneself," meaning to have performed exceptionally well, often beyond one's usual standard.
- (She performed better than every competitor.)
- (He felt surpassed or overshadowed.)
- (The chef has performed even better than his previous best.)
"to be outdone": to be surpassed or exceeded.
- He refused to be outdone, so he practiced even harder. (He refused to accept being surpassed.)
"not to be outdone": a fixed expression meaning "in order to avoid being surpassed" or "as a competitive response."
- Not to be outdone, she submitted her application early. (To avoid being surpassed, she acted quickly.)
Outdo (verb, base form): to surpass or exceed.
- She always tries to outdo her classmates. (She always tries to do better than them.)
Outdoing (present participle): the act of surpassing.
- He is outdoing himself with each new project. (He is exceeding his own standards.)
- Surpassed: exceeded or gone beyond.
- Excelled: performed exceptionally well compared to others.
- Outstripped: left behind in competition or achievement.
"Outdo oneself": to perform better than one has ever done before.
- She really outdid herself with that presentation. (She performed at an exceptionally high level.)
"Not to be outdone": used to describe a competitive response.
- Not to be outdone, the other team scored a goal. (In response to being surpassed, the other team matched or exceeded the achievement.)