Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

To do something well or better than someone else

excel

verb

to do something extremely well

distinguish yourself

to do something very well so that people notice and respect you

smash a record

to do something much faster, better, etc. than it has ever been done before

shine

verb

to show that you have a lot of skill when you do something

trump

verb

to win or to succeed, for example in sports or business, because you have an advantage that your opponent does not have

cap

verb

to say or do something that is better, funnier, cleverer, etc. than something good, funny, clever, etc. that someone has just said or done

make history

to do something that many people will remember or learn about because it is very important

upstage

verb

to do something so that you get more attention and admiration than someone else, especially someone who will be annoyed by this

perform

verb

to do something with a particular amount of success

nail

verb

to do something in a perfect way, especially in sport

charticle

a news article that consists of a chart … and only has a small amount of text

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

picture messaging

the sending of images and photographs from one mobile phone to another

Open Dictionary

never event

an event that should never occur in a healthcare setting …

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog