OUTDO (outdid, outdone)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: outdid    , outdone   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does outdo mean? 

• OUTDO (verb)
  The verb OUTDO has 2 senses:

1. be or do something to a greater degree

2. get the better of

  Familiarity information: OUTDO used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OUTDO (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they outdo    ... he / she / it outdoes   
Past simple: outdid   
Past participle: outdone   
-ing form: outdoing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be or do something to a greater degree

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

exceed; outdo; outgo; outmatch; outperform; outstrip; surmount; surpass

Context example:

This car outperforms all others in its class

Hypernyms (to "outdo" is one way to...):

beat; beat out; crush; shell; trounce; vanquish (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "outdo"):

outgrow (grow faster than)

outwear (last longer than others)

outmarch (march longer distances and for a longer time than)

shame (surpass or beat by a wide margin)

outfox (outdo someone in trickery)

out-herod (surpass someone in cruelty or evil)

outbrave (be braver than)

outweigh (be heavier than)

outrange (have a greater range than (another gun))

outshine (attract more attention and praise than others)

better; break (surpass in excellence)

outpace (surpass in speed)

outsell (be sold more often than other, similar products)

outsell (sell more than others)

outdraw (draw a gun faster, or best someone in a gunfight)

outsail (sail faster or better than)

outroar (roar louder than)

outcry; outshout (shout louder than)

beat; circumvent; outfox; outsmart; outwit; overreach (beat through cleverness and wit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

Sam cannot outdo Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Get the better of

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

best; outdo; outflank; scoop; trump

Context example:

the goal was to best the competition

Hypernyms (to "outdo" is one way to...):

beat; beat out; crush; shell; trounce; vanquish (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "outdo"):

outmaneuver; outmanoeuvre; outsmart (defeat by more skillful maneuvering)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to outdo his opponent

 Context examples 

She knew that he outdid her, though his work was of a different order.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You will hardly bear to be long outdone by Jane.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

If we do not outdo Ecclesford, we do nothing.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

“Quite right,” said my uncle, who seemed to have made up his mind to outdo Brummell in extravagance.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Not to be outdone, Uranus will send a sparkler of a beam himself to this full moon, adding to the possibility that you will get a thrilling career surprise over that weekend.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

But unfortunately in bestowing these embraces, a pin in her ladyship's head dress slightly scratching the child's neck, produced from this pattern of gentleness such violent screams, as could hardly be outdone by any creature professedly noisy.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

London to our heart's content, thanks to Fred and Frank, and were sorry to go away, for though English people are slow to take you in, when they once make up their minds to do it they cannot be outdone in hospitality, I think.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)