What does outdone mean?
“Outdone” means to have surpassed another person or thing in achievement, effort, ability, or performance. It is the past participle of the verb “outdo” and is often used in constructions such as “has outdone,” “had outdone,” or “was outdone.” For example, a competitor may outdo a previous record, a performance may outdo expectations, or a person may outdo an earlier version of themselves. The word has a confident, competitive, and often slightly literary tone. It is especially useful when describing someone or something that has exceeded an earlier standard or rival, though “surpassed” is more common in neutral modern English.
verbTo surpass or exceed someone in achievement, effort, or performance.
- To surpass someone or something in achievement, effort, ability, or performance.
"Her innovative approach outdone every other project submitted for the award."
"The new model outdone every competitor in the reliability tests."
"He outdone himself with a performance that surprised even the judges."
“Outdone” is the past participle of “outdo,” an old-fashioned but vivid way to say that someone has beaten a previous achievement or rival.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does outdone come from?
The word was formed by combining the prefix “out-” with “do,” in the sense of doing more than another person or thing. Its structure reflects the older verb “outdo,” meaning to surpass, excel beyond, or exceed. The form “outdone” is irregular, using the past participle “done,” which comes from Old English “dōn.” Related forms include “do,” “undo,” and “overdo,” all built on the same verb root.
Related word forms
How outdone is actually used
The word is usually used as the past participle of “outdo” in the passive, though it can also occur in constructions such as “have outdone.” It is formal to slightly literary and is less common in everyday speech than “surpassed” or “beat.”
Easily confused with outdone
“Outdo” is the base verb, while “outdone” is its past participle, as in “She has outdone her previous performance.”