excel

excel — verb

1. to do very well in a particular activity or subject

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

to do very well in a particular activity or subject

例句

Hoa excels at mathematics and often helps classmates with their homework.

excel + at + [subject area]

The young pianist excels in both classical and jazz performances.

excel + in + [broad field]

同義詞
  • shine

    more informal; often describes a specific impressive moment rather than consistent ability

  • stand out

    emphasizes being noticeably better than others in a group

  • surpass

    focuses on exceeding a specific standard or competitor rather than general skill level

  • thrive

    suggests personal growth and enjoyment in an environment where one does well

反義詞
  • struggle

    to have difficulty with something rather than being good at it

  • fail

    opposite end of the success spectrum

文法句型

excel + at/in + noun phrase

excel + as + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently paired with the prepositions 'at' or 'in'. Use 'at' for specific skills or activities (excel at chess) and 'in' for broader fields or contexts (excel in science). 'As' is used when naming a role (excel as a teacher).

常見錯誤

❌I excel playing piano.
✅I excel at playing piano.
💡'excel' needs a preposition ('at', 'in', or 'as') before the object, unlike 'master' or 'dominate' which take a direct object.

2. to achieve a higher level of performance than your previous best, especially in

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to achieve a higher level of performance than your previous best, especially in a single event or effort

例句

Gabriel really excelled himself in the final exam, scoring higher than ever before.

reflexive: excel + himself

The team excelled themselves this season, finishing third after being near the bottom last year.

reflexive: excel + themselves; collective subject

同義詞
反義詞
  • underperform

    to do worse than expected or worse than one's usual standard

文法句型

excel + reflexive pronoun

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used reflexively ('excel yourself / himself / themselves') in British English. In American English, the reflexive pattern is less common, though it still appears in writing about personal or team achievements. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 compares a person's current performance to their OWN past performance, not to other people.

常見錯誤

❌She excelled the competition.
✅She excelled herself in the competition.
💡In this sense, 'excel' takes a reflexive pronoun, not a direct object. The competition is the context, not the object.