Lewis & Short

ex-sŭpĕro (exup-), āvi, ātum (gen. plur. part. sync. exsuperantum, Varr. L. L. 7, § 18 Müll.), 1, v. n. and a. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

  1. I. Neutr., to mount up, appear above (very rare).
    1. A. Lit.: exsuperant flammae; furit aestus ad auras, Verg. A. 2, 759.
    2. B. Trop., to get the upper hand, to overcome, prevail, excel: sol et vapor omnis, Lucr. 5, 385: arma capessant, Et si non poterunt exsuperare, cadant, Ov. F. 6, 372: praesens dolor, Lucr. 6, 1277: quantum ipse feroci Virtute exsuperas, Verg. A. 12, 20: Hannibal exsuperans astu, Sil. 1, 57.
  2. II. Act., to project or tower above any thing, to surmount, rise above, exceed.
    1. A. Lit.: vites exsuperant ulmos, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 12: exsuperat jugum, passes over, Verg. A. 11, 905: clivum, Sen. Ep. 31: amnem, Plin. 6, 17, 21, § 62: Nilus exsuperavit sedecim cubita, id. 18, 18, 47, § 168; cf.: binas libras ponderis, id. 9, 17, 30, § 64.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. To surpass, exceed: quis homo te exsuperavit usquam gentium impudentiā? Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 36, 77: omnes Tarquinios superbiā, Liv. 3, 11, 13: genus morum nobilitate, Ov. Tr. 4, 4, 2: aliquid latitudine, Plin. 2, 11, 8, § 50: laudes alicujus, Liv. 28, 43, 7: cuncta exsuperans patrimonia census, Juv. 10, 13: tu vero, pater, vive et me quoque exsupera, survive, outlive, Val. Max. 5, 9 fin.: aestatem, to outlast, Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 33.
      2. 2. To be too much for, to overpower, overcome: id summum exsuperat Jovem, Poët. in Cic. Div. 2, 10, 25: materia vires exsuperante meas, Ov. Tr. 1, 5, 56: caecum consilium, Verg. A. 7, 591: multitudo Gallorum, sensum omnem talis damni exsuperans, Liv. 7, 24, 2.
        Hence, exsŭpĕrans (exup-), antis, P. a. (acc. to I. B.), surpassing, excellent, supreme (post-class.): mulier exsuperanti forma, Gell. 6, 8, 3.
        Comp.: uter esset exsuperantior, certabatur, Gell. 14, 3, 11.
        Sup., App. Dogm. Plat. 1, p. 8.