Word of the Day: Outdo
To outdo is to act, behave, or perform in a manner that is better than in the past.
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
outdo
|
outdid
|
outdone
|
- Walter and Gabriel are always trying to outdo each other.
- Simone hopes to outdo her last performance.
- Jeff really outdid himself with his guitar solo. It was brilliant.
- We outdo the competition at every level. (Likely to be said by a business in reference to other businesses with which it competes.)
- Our team hopes it will not be outdone by the other teams leading up to the championship games.
- Our students outdid themselves once again with their high test scores.
The word “outdo” is often used in a sarcastic manner when a person’s performance or behavior is below expectations. The following examples express disappointment or unhappiness in what someone has done:
- You’ve really outdone yourself. (You did something bad.)
- It’s hard to believe that he outdid himself once again. (He did something bad.)
- Just when we thought they couldn’t possibly outdo themselves, they go ahead and do it. (They did something was very bad.)
Note: The word “outdo” is often used with reflexive pronouns.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with O page to see the list of all words starting with letter O. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
