outperform

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'outperform' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that something has been done better than expected, or better than something or someone else. Example sentence: "The new marketing plan has outperformed our expectations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Innovation and hospitality will be the two pillars for Paris to continue to outperform as the top destination in the world for tourism," he said.

The Guardian - Travel

"The idea that people who formally have a disability can produce and sometimes even outperform non-disabled people in the workspace is quite a disruptive thought for employers," said Sonne.

The Guardian - Business

One reason why it's hard for big money managers to divest from fossil fuels is exactly the same as the reason why it's hard for you or me to divest from fossil fuels: it's silly for us to think we can outperform the market by ­anticipating events.

The Guardian

The Northern Territory continues to outperform other jurisdictions in property development, scoring a 7.7 out of 10 in the report card.

The Guardian

If confirmed, that solid pace of expansion for the eurozone would upset a pattern that has seen the UK outperform other leading economies.

The Guardian - Business

Beginning coverage of Poundland - one of the many problems plaguing Tesco at the moment - with outperform rating and 400p target price, Exane analyst John Kershaw said: Poundland is a price-disruptive UK retail roll-out story with best-in-class execution, consolidation potential and international optionality.

The Guardian - Business

But ITV added 4.4p to 216.8p after Credit Suisse moved its target price from 250p to 270p, with an outperform rating.

The Guardian - Business

Despite the evidence of girls' ability to outperform boys at almost every level at school and university, despite women outnumbering men at entry level even in law firms, despite politicians' banging on about the need to create "pipelines" to deliver more women into leadership positions, they are just not getting to the top.

The Guardian

Elsewhere Associated British Foods has fallen 40p to £18.24 after Credit Suisse cut its recommendation from outperform to neutral.

The Guardian - Business

The strength of this approach is backed by a growing body of evidence and today we will publish further studies which show how academy schools working in partnership tend to outperform their local authority counterparts.

The Guardian

Low-income students at Rocketship, a chain of charter schools in San Jose, California, which also use the technologies, outperform those living in the wealthiest districts in the state.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "outperform", specify the benchmark or entity being surpassed for clarity. For example, "This year, our sales team outperformed last year's results."

Common error

Avoid using "outperform" without a clear point of reference. Instead of saying "The company is outperforming", specify what it is outperforming, such as "The company is outperforming its competitors in market share".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "outperform" is as a transitive verb, indicating the act of performing better than something or someone else. Ludwig provides numerous examples showcasing its usage in business, economics, and general contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "outperform" is a transitive verb used to describe superior performance compared to a specific benchmark or entity. Ludwig AI confirms it is grammatically correct and widely used in various contexts, particularly in News & Media, Formal & Business and Science. The related phrases like "exceed expectations", "surpass competitors" and "excel" can be used as alternatives. To use "outperform" correctly, always specify what is being outperformed and avoid vague comparisons. The sources confirm widespread usage of "outperform", reflecting its relevance in describing achievements and surpassing standards.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exceed expectations

Focuses on surpassing anticipated outcomes rather than just doing better than something else.

surpass competitors

Specifically highlights doing better than those in the same competitive space.

excel

Emphasizes a high level of achievement or skill.

outstrip

Suggests exceeding or surpassing something, often in a quantitative sense.

better

A more general term for performing to a higher standard.

beat

Indicates winning against or achieving more than something else.

leave behind

Illustrates the action of performing so well that the others are left behind.

top

Implies reaching the highest level or position.

do better than

A more explicit phrase, directly stating the act of performing at a higher level.

eclipse

Suggests overshadowing or diminishing the performance of others.

FAQs

How can I use "outperform" in a sentence?

Use "outperform" to indicate that something performs better than something else. For example, "This new engine is expected to "outperform" the previous model in fuel efficiency".

What's a synonym for "outperform"?

Alternatives to "outperform" include "surpass", "exceed", or "outstrip", all suggesting exceeding a certain level or performance.

Is it correct to say "outperform than"?

No, the correct usage is "outperform" without "than". For instance, "The company outperformed expectations" is correct, while "The company outperformed than expectations" is incorrect.

What is the difference between "outperform" and "perform well"?

"Outperform" implies a comparative element, suggesting doing better than something else. "Perform well", on the other hand, simply means achieving a good level of performance, without necessarily comparing it to anything else.