excellent

adjective

ˈek-s(ə-)lənt How to pronounce excellent (audio)
Definition of excellentnext
as in wonderful
of the very best kind fast-food fans rate this chain's fries as excellent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excellent By luck or some excellent planning, Apple chose the same shape for the iPhone Fold. — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 The 60-year-old has earned that level of trust from everyone at the club after two excellent seasons in charge. — Pol Ballús, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Sam Junqua sent in an excellent cross toward Dominik Marczuk. — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 Civale was excellent in relief, leading Counsell to call him the story of the game. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excellent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excellent
  1. wonderful
  2. superb
  3. great
  4. terrific
  5. fantastic
  6. awesome
  7. lovely
  8. fabulous
Adjective
  • Nature aside, Cape Town boasts a wonderful juxtaposition of old world architecture and contemporary design across its vibrant neighborhoods.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Both films had wonderful ensembles, ingenious writing and an unmistakable sense of occasion.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • Head baker Lou Turner (formerly pastry chef at Obelix, a French bistro in the city’s River North) churns out superb pastries that invite obsession.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The winery is also known for superb musical performances that Paine gets through his relationship with a top tier entertainment manager.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of superb
Adjective
  • But there may be little anyone–government or corporate–can do to persuade people to have children amid greater economic uncertainty.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • From travel dresses to a lightweight sweater, here are 14 items from Quince’s Workwear Edit that would look great on you on your next flight, starting at $20.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • To me, an important part about sports is the memories that continue for so long after the events, and these two columns by two terrific writers truly brought that home.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Loving spouses disappoint us, supportive parents fail us, close friends misunderstand us, and even terrific children create enormous stress.
    — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrific
Adjective
  • The apocalypse isn’t frightening because of zombies or some fantastical creature.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Mayer is the favorite to start at point guard, but Ertel looked fantastic on the trip and could push him.
    — CJ Moore, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fantastic
Adjective
  • And while the linebacker group is average, the secondary has a good foundation and the defensive line has enough depth and potential to be awesome.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There is a decent chance the winner of the American League West could finish with a losing record, which would be a first in MLB history, 110 percent awesome, and worthy of its own banner.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of awesome
Adjective
  • The bathroom is lovely with deep red marble tiling, a large tub, and views over the beach.
    — Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Have a lovely weekend all and enjoy these last few weeks of August!
    — Sam Woodward, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of lovely
Adjective
  • Maybe someday, that will be fodder for a fabulous conversation on Ultimate Girls Trip.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Relaxed but fabulous, in the way that Aussies can pull off like no one else.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fabulous

Browse Nearby Words

excellency
excellent
excellently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Excellent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excellent. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All