勝る
まさる · masaru · JLPT N1 · verb-godan
to excel
🏆 勝 (katsu) = win, so 勝る = win over others: to excel or surpass them
Built from 勝 (win/victory) plus the verb ending る, so it means to come out ahead of a rival. Same kanji as 勝つ (katsu, to win), but 勝る is the stronger 'surpass' sense, often used for quality or superiority.