EN

Synonyms for transcend

  • verb

Most common

exceed surpass outstrip surmount go beyond overstep

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Exceed

exceed, surpass, outstrip, surmount, transgress, rise above, cap, overpass US CA, eclipse, overtop, overreach, dwarf, outvie, overgo, outstep, overshadow, outshine, trespass dated, outcompass dated rare

2. Go beyond

go beyond, overstep, pass, go past, top, excel rare

Other

out-do, better, ascend

Antonyms

fall short, lag, trail

All antonyms of transcend →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To pass beyond the limits of something.

    We cannot transcend what we refuse to face.

  2. v. 2

    To surpass, as in intensity or power; to excel.

Related words

Word family
transcendence transcendency transcendent transcendental transcendentalist

Forms

Past participle
transcended
e.g. transcended → exceeded, surpassed, outstript, surmounted…

Example sentences

  • exceed Nothing can exceed the speed of light in a vacuum.
  • surpass Will Algeria be able to surpass the middle-income trap?
  • surmount There are many obstacles to surmount when translating literary texts.
  • overstep I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep my bounds.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
transcendrising
exceedfalling
surpasssteady
outstripfalling
surmountfalling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
top1, cap1
4 letters
pass1
5 letters
dwarf1, excel2
6 letters
better2, exceed2, ascend2, outvie, overgo
7 letters
eclipse2, surpass2, overtop, outstep
8 letters
trespass2, overpass3, outshine2, overstep3, outstrip2, surmount2
9 letters
overreach3
10 letters
overshadow4, transgress2, outcompass

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (excel2 = 2 syllables).