outdistance
gb/ˈaʊtdˈɪstəns/ us/ˈaʊtdˈɪstəns/
C1
English
lehagy, felülmúl, leköröz
VERB
C1
1
lehagy
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] outdistances [someone/something] (by [amount])
By the final lap, she had outdistanced the rest of the runners.
Az utolsó körre már lehagyta a többi futót.
The hare quickly outdistanced the hounds and disappeared into the woods.
A nyúl gyorsan lehagyta a kopókat, és eltűnt az erdőben.
Once the road opened up, the sports car outdistanced the truck within seconds.
Learner examples
He outdistanced me in the last 100 meters.
Az utolsó 100 méteren lehagyott.
Our team outdistanced the other team.
A csapatunk lehagyta a másik csapatot.
Common mistake:
Learners often use *distance* instead of *outdistance* when they mean ‘get ahead of’ in a race.
Meaning
go farther or faster than
Collocations
outdistance a rival
|outdistance the others
|outdistance the pack
|outdistance the field
|outdistance the competition
|outdistance the leader
|outdistance an opponent
|outdistance a pursuer
|outdistance by ten meters
|outdistance by a wide margin
Synonyms
outrun (More specific to running; less general than *outdistance*.)
|
outpace (Often used for speed and progress; slightly broader and more common.)
|
leave behind (More informal and less precise about the amount of lead.)
Antonyms
trail (To be behind rather than ahead.)
|
lag behind (To fall behind in speed or distance.)
Themes
sports
|movement
|competition
Definition
to go ahead of someone by running, driving, etc., so they are behind you
To go faster than someone or something else and end up farther ahead, especially in a race or chase.
VERB
C1
2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] outdistances [someone/something] in [area]
Over the past year, the company has outdistanced its rivals in subscription growth.
Az elmúlt évben a vállalat előfizetői növekedésben lekörözte a versenytársait.
Their new model outdistances the previous version in battery life and speed.
Az új modell akkumulátor-üzemidőben és sebességben felülmúlja az előző verziót.
In the second half, the team outdistanced their opponents in both possession and chances created.
Learner examples
Our product outdistanced the others in sales.
A termékünk eladásokban lekörözte a többit.
She outdistanced her classmates in math.
Matematikából felülmúlta az osztálytársait.
Common mistake:
Learners may treat it as intransitive (e.g., *We outdistanced*). It is usually used with an object (*outdistance competitors*).
Meaning
surpass clearly in performance
Collocations
outdistance rivals
|outdistance competitors
|outdistance the competition
|outdistance the market
|outdistance expectations
|outdistance other brands
|outdistance peers
|outdistance its nearest rival
|outdistance them in sales
|outdistance them in growth
Synonyms
outperform (Very common in business; focuses on results rather than ‘distance’ metaphor.)
|
surpass (Neutral and general; less vivid about the size of the lead.)
|
excel (Focuses on being very good, not necessarily beating others.)
Antonyms
underperform (To do worse than expected or worse than others.)
|
fall behind (To lose progress compared with others.)
Themes
business
|work
|competition
Definition
to do much better than someone else
To be much better or more successful than someone else, especially over time or in a measurable area such as sales, growth, or results.
Grammar
Dictionary form
outdistance
IPA
GB/ˈaʊtdˈɪstəns/
US/ˈaʊtdˈɪstəns/
Syllables & stress
out - dis - tance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (out)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: outdistance
- 3rd Person Singular: outdistances
- Present Participle: outdistancing
- Past: outdistanced
Word family
Expressions
outdistance the competition
1/ˈaʊtdˈɪstəns ðə kˌɑmpətˈɪʃən/
fixed phrase
business
beat competing people or companies
to do much better than your competitors
Examples
- The startup outdistanced the competition by offering faster delivery and lower prices.
- To outdistance the competition, they invested heavily in customer support.
- Their latest campaign helped them outdistance the competition in brand awareness.
Learner examples
- We want to outdistance the competition.
- This phone outdistances the competition in battery life.
outdistance the field
1/ˈaʊtdˈɪstəns ðə fˈild/
fixed phrase
pull far ahead of others
to be far ahead of all the other competitors
Examples
- By the halfway point, she had outdistanced the field and was racing alone.
- The cyclist outdistanced the field on the final climb.
- Their horse outdistanced the field in the last stretch.
Learner examples
- He outdistanced the field in the final lap.