DictionaryaceHighly skilled person
noun / verb

ace

An exceptionally skillful performer.

The team's pitching ace takes the mound for the final game.

Etymology

Old French as named the single point on a die. Through the playing card called an ace, which can rank highest, the word became a name for a top performer.

More examples

  • She aced the difficult entrance exam.
  • The squadron's ace trained several younger pilots.
  • He is an ace at finding errors in old records.

Forms

ace · aces · aced · acing

Similar words

expert
Emphasizes deep knowledge or skill rather than outstanding performance.
star
Emphasizes prominence and success, sometimes beyond actual skill.