How to say "excel" in Japanese

• 勝るまさるJLPT N1approx.Common
  godan verb, intransitive verbCovers 'excel' as surpassing another in a comparison: one thing is faster, better, or stronger than a rival. Think of one product outperforming another, not of a person simply being good at something.
  睡眠すいみんは薬くすりに勝まさる。↗

  Sleep is better than medicine.
• 秀でるひいでるCommon
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbCovers 'excel at' a skill or field: a person is distinctly better than others at what they do. Typical when describing someone who stands out in scholarship, a craft, or sport among their peers.
  その選手せんしゅはあらゆるスポーツに秀ひいでていた。↗

  The athlete excelled in all kinds of sports.
• 優れるすぐれるJLPT N3approx.Common
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbCovers 'excel' as being superior in quality or performance: something is better than what it is compared with. Typical when evaluating products, methods, or materials, where the focus is on the thing's merits.
  彼女かのじょは現代げんだいの最もっとも優すぐれた画家がかの一人ひとりである。↗

  She is among the best artists of today.
• 抜け出るぬけでるCommon
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbCovers 'excel' only in the loose sense of standing out from the pack, and is seldom the word you want: its basic meaning is to slip out of a place.

Use 「勝る」 for surpassing a rival in a comparison, 「秀でる」 for a person excelling at a skill, 「優れる」 for something being superior in quality, and 「抜け出る」 only for standing out from the pack.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 勝るまさるto excel
• 秀でるひいでるto excel
• 優れるすぐれるto be better (than)
• エクセルExcel (spreadsheet application developed by Microsoft)
• ずば抜けるずばぬけるto be by far the best
• 抜きん出るぬきんでるto surpass
• 抜き出るぬきでるto surpass
• 凌ぐしのぐto surpass
• 抜け出るぬけでるto excel