transcend
gb/tɹænsˈɛnd/ us/tɹænsˈɛnd/
C1
English
~ 8600
meghalad, felülmúl, túlmutat, felülemelkedik, túllép, transzcendál
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
to transcend [something]
Her latest novel transcends simple entertainment and becomes a profound study of grief.
Legújabb regénye túlmutat az egyszerű szórakoztatáson, és a gyász mélyreható vizsgálatává válik.
The film manages to transcend its low budget through clever writing and strong performances.
A film okos forgatókönyvével és erős alakításaival képes meghaladni az alacsony költségvetéséből adódó korlátokat.
Scientists hope this discovery will transcend current medical limitations.
His work transcends traditional jazz and creates an entirely new sound.
The experience of climbing the mountain seemed to transcend ordinary everyday life.
Learner examples
This song transcends pop music and feels like art.
Ez a dal túlmutat a popzenén, és inkább művészetnek hat.
The team’s hard work helped them transcend all expectations.
A csapat kemény munkája segített nekik felülmúlni minden várakozást.
The painting transcends simple beauty; it also tells a story.
Her speech transcended normal politics and spoke to human values.
The book transcends its simple story and makes you think deeply.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write *"transcend over"* (e.g., *"The movie transcends over the genre"*). In standard English, *transcend* takes a direct object without a preposition: *"The movie transcends the genre."*
Meaning
Go beyond normal limits or standards
Collocations
transcend boundaries
|transcend limits
|transcend expectations
|transcend a genre
|transcend time
|transcend reality
Synonyms
surpass (Common and slightly less formal; focuses on being better than something in degree or amount.)
|
exceed (Neutral and quantitative; often used with numbers or measurable limits.)
|
eclipse (Suggests so greatly outshining something that it is almost forgotten.)
Antonyms
fall short (of) (Means not reaching a level or standard, the opposite of going beyond it.)
|
be limited by (Emphasizes being held within limits instead of going beyond them.)
Themes
evaluation
|art
|achievement
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be much better than or go far beyond the normal level of something.
To go beyond or rise above the normal limits, level, or standard of something, especially in quality, achievement, or experience.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
2
túllép
B2
Usage pattern:
to transcend [abstract_noun]
Their friendship transcended age and cultural differences.
Barátságuk felülemelkedett a korkülönbségen és a kulturális különbségeken.
Great literature can transcend politics and speak to universal human concerns.
A nagy irodalom felülemelkedhet a politikán, és egyetemes emberi kérdésekről szólhat.
The project aims to create a space where art transcends national borders.
His message of peace transcends religious divisions.
True compassion transcends personal interest and social status.
Learner examples
Their love transcends distance and time.
A szerelmük felülemelkedik a távolságon és az időn.
This song transcends language; people everywhere feel it.
Ez a dal túllép a nyelvi korlátokon; az emberek mindenütt érzik.
Good teachers can transcend classroom walls and change lives.
Her idea transcends normal business thinking.
The festival transcends local culture and welcomes everyone.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *transcend* with very concrete, everyday objects (e.g., *"The cup transcends the table"*), which sounds odd. It is usually used with abstract nouns like *differences, politics, race, culture, time,* or *religion*.
Meaning
Not be limited or controlled by something
Collocations
transcend differences
|transcend race
|transcend politics
|transcend religion
|transcend cultural barriers
|transcend time and space
Synonyms
rise above (Often used with problems or conflicts; slightly less formal and more personal in tone.)
|
overcome (Focuses more on defeating a problem, rather than simply not being limited by it.)
Antonyms
be limited by (Describes being held back or defined by something, instead of existing beyond it.)
|
be trapped in (Suggests being stuck inside a situation or way of thinking, the opposite of rising above it.)
Themes
society
|relationships
|values
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To not be limited or held back by something, especially ideas or differences between people.
To rise above or go beyond being limited, defined, or controlled by something such as problems, categories, or differences.
VERB
C2
TECHNICAL
3
transzcendál
C2
Usage pattern:
to transcend [the world / human experience / physical reality]
In many religious traditions, God is said to transcend the physical universe.
Sok vallási hagyományban azt mondják, hogy Isten transzcendálja a fizikai világegyetemet.
Some philosophers argue that moral truth transcends human opinion.
Egyes filozófusok szerint az erkölcsi igazság transzcendálja az emberi véleményt.
The mystic claimed that the divine transcends all possible human understanding.
According to the theory, consciousness may transcend purely material explanations.
They believe that the soul transcends earthly life and continues after death.
Learner examples
Many people say that God transcends the world we see.
Sokan azt mondják, hogy Isten transzcendálja a látható világot.
Some ideas seem to transcend normal human experience.
Úgy tűnik, egyes eszmék transzcendálják a hétköznapi emberi tapasztalat határait.
The teacher said that truth can transcend time and space.
In this religion, the spirit transcends the body.
The writer thinks that love transcends the physical world.
Meaning
Exist beyond physical reality
Collocations
transcend the material world
|transcend the physical universe
|transcend human understanding
|transcend space and time
|God transcends creation
Synonyms
lie beyond (Neutral phrase suggesting existence outside a certain range or realm.)
Antonyms
be contained within (Indicates existing only inside a particular realm, the opposite of existing beyond it.)
Themes
philosophy
|religion
|metaphysics
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To exist in a way that is outside and beyond the physical world and what people can normally experience.
In philosophy or theology, to exist beyond and outside the limits of the physical world or normal human experience.
Grammar
Dictionary form
transcend
IPA
GB/tɹænsˈɛnd/
US/tɹænsˈɛnd/
Syllables & stress
tran - scend (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (scend)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: transcend
- 3rd Person Singular: transcends
- Present Participle: transcending
- Past: transcended
Word family
Forms
transcends
verb
transcending
verb
transcended
verb
Core family
transcendence
noun
transcendent
adjective
Related words
transcendental
adjective
transcendently
adverb
Advanced or less common
transcendentalism
noun
Expressions
transcend boundaries
1/tɹænsˈɛnd bˈaʊndɚiz/
fixed phrase
formal
Go beyond usual divisions or borders
To not be stopped or divided by normal lines, groups, or rules that separate people or things.
Examples
- Good music can transcend boundaries and bring people together.
- Their work aims to transcend boundaries between art and science.
- The charity’s message transcends boundaries of race and religion.
transcend cultural differences
1/tɹænsˈɛnd kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl dˈɪfɹənsɪz/
fixed phrase
formal
Overcome or go beyond cultural gaps
To connect people in a way that is not blocked by differences in culture.
Examples
- Sports can sometimes transcend cultural differences and unite communities.
- Her cooking transcends cultural differences by blending flavors from around the world.
- The program uses art to transcend cultural differences between students.
transcend the limits of
1/tɹænsˈɛnd ðə lˈɪmɪts əv/
fixed phrase
formal
Go beyond the limits of something
To go further than what is normally possible or allowed in some area.
Examples
- New technology is helping us transcend the limits of human endurance.
- The novel seems to transcend the limits of language itself.
- Their research aims to transcend the limits of current medicine.
transcend time and space
1/tɹænsˈɛnd tˈaɪm ˈænd spˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
literary
Not limited by time or distance
To seem so strong or special that it is not limited by time or by how far apart things are.
Examples
- They believed that true love could transcend time and space.
- The story’s themes transcend time and space, remaining relevant in every era.
- For a moment, the concert felt like it transcended time and space.