Outclimbs

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To ascend to a greater height than another person or object does
2. To surpass someone or something in altitude gained while climbing
3. To achieve a higher position than a competitor during a climbing activity

Etymology: "Outclimbs" is the third-person singular present form of "outclimb," a verb meaning to climb higher than someone or something else. It belongs to a large family of English verbs built with the prefix "out-," which has long been used to mean "beyond" or "surpassing." The same pattern gives us words like "outrun," "outlast," and "outdo," each taking a familiar action and adding the sense of exceeding a rival in doing it. "Outclimb" itself is formed simply from "out-" and "climb," so its history is that of the two parts combined. "Climb" is an older verb in English, and "out-" was productive in forming new compounds throughout the language's development, so "outclimb" is a transparent coinage rather than a word with a dramatic story. Its meaning follows directly from its parts: the prefix adds the idea of surpassing, and the base supplies the act of rising upward.

Synonyms: ascends faster, surpasses, exceeds, outpaces, overcomes

Antonyms: descends, falls behind, lags, surrenders, loses