Reverse Dictionary: EXCEL

ADJECTIVES
► BEFORE-PASSING excelling → 1382 obs.
► KICKIN’ HARD excelling → 1960s Amer. sl.
► NAWPY clever, intelligent, shrewd; excelling → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► PRECELLENT that excels or surpasses; conspicuously superior; excellent → 1382 obs.
► SOVEREIGN standing out above others, or excelling in some respect → 1330 obs.

NOUNS
► ACADEMY AWARD recognition of excelling in a field → 1958 US sl.
► PRICE an excelling others; place of honour; first or highest place; pre-eminence → 1275 obs.
► STRONG SUIT a thing at which a person excels; a particular advantage, a valuable asset → 1742

NOUNS – PERSON
► ACE a person who stands out, excels, or represents perfection in any field, activity, or occupation; an expert; an adept → a1796
► ADMIRABLE CRICHTON ► CRICHTON a person who excels in all kinds of studies and pursuits; one who is noted for supreme competence; later, a person of an inferior social status or lower place in a hierarchy who is far more talented and capable and has more natural authority than his or her superiors → 1807
► BEAT one who excels or surpasses another, a superior → 1855 US sl.
► BEAT’EM the conqueror; the one who excels all others → 1828 Eng. dial.  (Bk.)
► BEATER a person who beats or excels others → 1845 US dial.
► CAPTAIN a person who excels; a leader → 1917 Amer. dial.
► DABSTER one skilled at anything; an expert or adept; a clever or versatile person; one who excels greatly; a proficient → 1708
► EAR MAN a person expressing a natural ability to excel at an endeavour; a virtuoso → 1970s African-American
► FAIR HELL anyone who excels at something; an impressive person → 1934 African-American students’ sl.
► GONER a person who excels → 1949 US sl.
► HELL anyone who excels at something; an impressive person → 1934 US Black student sl.
► NATURAL a person having a natural talent; one especially well suited for or likely to succeed in a particular endeavour; one who excels in something because of unusual ability → 1749 Amer. sl.
► PERIWINKLE a person who excels; the most excellent of a group or category → 1335 obs.
► RAPPER a person who excels in anything → 1881 Eng. dial.
► SOVEREIGN n. a person who excels or surpasses others → 1500
► SPANKER a person who takes long steps with agility; one who walks quickly; a tall and active young person; a superior person; one who excels → 1751 colloq. & Sc. & Eng. dial.
► TOPPER a person who excels at anything → 1709 colloq.
► TOP-SAWYER a first-rate hand at something; a distinguished person; one who excels at something → 1823 

VERBS
► BANG to defeat, to worst; to surpass, to excel, to outdo; to overcome, to overpower; to overwhelm→ 1604
► BEAR THE BELL to take the first place; to have foremost rank or position, to be the best; to excel, to be pre-eminent → c1374
► BEAT THE DEVIL AND DR. FOSTER to excel, to surpass → 1848 Ireland
► CAP to outdo, to excel, to surpass → 1808 Eng. dial.
► CAP THE DUTCH to excel everything, to beat → 1869 Eng. dial.
► COOK to do very well, to excel → 1930s Amer. jazz musicians’ usage
► COW to surpass, to excel → 1842 Sc.
► CRANK to excel → 1988 US sl.
► CUT to outdo, to excel → 1884
► DING to overcome, to subdue; to excel, to surpass → 1795 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► EXSUPERATE ► EXUPERATE to overtop, to surmount, to surpass, to exceed, to excel; to overcome → 1559 obs.
► FALL to beat, to excel → 1845 Sc.
► HAVE THE HEELS OF to excel, to surpass, to have the best of → 1894 Sc.
► HEAD to surpass, to outdo, to excel; to outwit, to get the better of → 1711
► KILL to excel → 1900 US sl.
► KNOCK THE SPOTS OFF OF to excel → 1926 US sl. (Bk.)
► LAY IT ALL OVER to surpass, to outdo; to excel → 1911 Amer. dial.
► LAY OVER to surpass, to outdo; to excel → 1853
► LAY UP to surpass, to excel → 1601 obs.
► MAKE BY to excel; to walk or run past → 1905 Sc. (Bk.)
► PARAGON to excel, to surpass → 1604 obs.
► PREVENT to outdo, to surpass, to excel → 1540 obs.
► TAKE THE RAG OFF to beat, to surpass; to excel; to outshine → 1833 Amer. dial.
► TAKE THE RAG OFF THE BUSH to excel, to be the best or most triumphantly successful → 1833 Amer.
► TAKE THE SHINE OFF OF to excel → 1905 Sc. & N. Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► TIP to excel, to exceed; to overcome → 1825 Sc.
► VANQUISH to excel or surpass → 1533 obs.
► WAR to ‘worse’, to defeat in a contest or competition; to surpass, to excel → 1483 Sc.
► WAX to excel, to perform well → 2001 US sl.
► WHALE ► WAIL to do extremely well; to excel → 1980 students’ sl.