outdo
gb/ˌaʊtdˈu/ us/ˌaʊtdˈu/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
do better than someone
to be better than another person
Usage pattern:
[someone] outdoes [someone] (at/in [activity])
Common mistake:
Often confused with 'undo' (to reverse an action). 'Outdo' means 'do better than'.
Synonyms
outperform (Common in work/sports; focuses on results.)
|
surpass (More general and slightly more formal.)
|
outclass (Suggests being clearly superior.)
|
beat (More informal; often about winning.)
Antonyms
underperform (Do worse than expected or than others.)
|
fall short (Fail to reach the same level or standard.)
Collocations
outdo a rival
|outdo a competitor
|outdo the competition
|outdo your opponents
|outdo your peers
|try to outdo
|aim to outdo
|outdo them at
|outdo others in
|outdo each other
Themes
competition
|work
|sports
Examples
- She trained hard this season and outdid all her rivals.
- Our new model outdoes the previous one in speed and battery life.
- He’s always trying to outdo his older brother.
Learner examples
- I want to outdo my best score.
- She outdid everyone in the race.
Verb
C1
action
2
be more extreme than something
to go beyond what is expected or usual
Usage pattern:
[something] outdoes [standard/expectation/previous result]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'outdo' where 'exceed' is more natural in formal writing (e.g., 'exceed expectations').
Synonyms
exceed (More formal; common with numbers and expectations.)
|
top (More informal; often about beating a previous record.)
|
surpass (Neutral-formal; focuses on going beyond.)
Antonyms
miss (Fail to reach a target or expectation.)
|
fall below (Be less than a standard or level.)
Collocations
outdo expectations
|outdo projections
|outdo forecasts
|outdo last year
|outdo the original
|outdo the first season
|outdo the plan
|outdo the record
|outdo previous results
|outdo the target
Themes
daily_life
|communication
|business
Examples
- The campaign outdid all expectations and went viral within days.
- This year’s profits outdid our forecasts by a wide margin.
- The sequel tries to outdo the original with bigger action scenes.
Learner examples
- The results outdid our expectations.
Grammar
Dictionary form
outdo
IPA
GB/ˌaʊtdˈu/
US/ˌaʊtdˈu/
Syllables & stress
outdo (1 syllable)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: outdo
- 3rd Person Singular: outdoes
- Present Participle: outdoing
- Past: outdid
- Past Participle: outdone
Word family
Expressions
cannot be outdone
1/kænˈɑt bˈi ˈaʊtdˈʌn/
fixed phrase
impossible to surpass
no one can do better
Examples
- Her attention to detail cannot be outdone.
- For comfort, this hotel’s beds cannot be outdone.
- His enthusiasm cannot be outdone on game day.
not to be outdone
1/nˈɑt tə bˈi ˈaʊtdˈʌn/
idiom
refuse to be less impressive
to do something so you are not worse than others
Examples
- Her sister, not to be outdone, bought an even bigger cake.
- The first company cut prices, and the rival, not to be outdone, offered free shipping too.
- He arrived in a tuxedo, and she, not to be outdone, wore a floor-length gown.
outdo each other
1/ˌaʊtdˈu ˈit͡ʃ ˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
compete to be better
to try to be better than one another
Examples
- At the potluck, everyone tried to outdo each other with homemade desserts.
- The two teams kept outdoing each other in the second half.
- On social media, influencers often seem to outdo each other with stunts.
outdo yourself
1/ˌaʊtdˈu jʊɹsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
do better than usual
to do your best work ever
Examples
- You really outdid yourself with this presentation.
- She outdid herself this year and won two awards.
- I think we can outdo ourselves if we start earlier next time.