Outrace

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To move faster than someone or something else in a race or competition
2. To beat another by running or moving more quickly
3. To complete a course or reach a goal ahead of a competitor through greater speed

Etymology: "Outrace" is a plain formation: the prefix "out-" added to "race," meaning to run faster than someone else and leave them behind. The prefix "out-" comes from Old English "ūt," meaning "outside" or "away from," which is also the root of the modern word "out." "Race" arrived in English in the Middle English period from Old Norse "rás," a word for a running or a rush, and it is connected to the Old English "rǣs," meaning a charge or onrush. Combining the two gave English a verb that carries the sense of surpassing someone in a contest of speed, with the prefix doing the work of "beyond" or "past." Many verbs built this way, such as "outrun," "outdo," and "outwit," follow the same pattern of adding "out-" to a base word to mean doing it better or further than others.

Synonyms: outpace, outrun, surpass, outstrip, outdo

Antonyms: fall behind, lag, lose, be surpassed, be outpaced