Outthinks

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To devise a solution or strategy that surpasses another’s thought process
2. to anticipate the plans or moves of an opponent through clever reasoning
3. performing mental calculations that lead to a superior outcome compared to rivals

Etymology: The verb "outthinks" is simply the third-person singular form of "outthink," meaning to beat a rival by thinking more cleverly or further ahead than they do. Its making is transparent: "out-" is the familiar English prefix meaning "beyond" or "surpassing," attached to "think," which descends through Middle English "thinken" from Old English "þenċan," itself from a Proto-West Germanic stem that also lies behind the verb "think" in every Germanic language. The prefix has an older and more physical history than the sense it now carries. "Out" traces back through Old English "ūt" to a Proto-Germanic form meaning "outward," which gave the sense of going beyond a boundary. Attaching that idea to a verb of mental activity produced a compound that means, roughly, to think beyond someone else. The pattern is productive in English, so "outthink" belongs to a family that includes "outrun," "outwit," and "outdo," where the same prefix marks the surpassing of a rival.

Synonyms: outsmarts, outwits, outmaneuvers, outclasses

Antonyms: underestimates, loses to, fails