noun

ace

AYS

noun

A playing card marked with a single symbol, usually ranked highest or lowest in a game.

"She drew the ace of spades and won the hand."

A person who is extremely skilled at something.

"He's an ace at fixing old motorcycles."

"The team's pitching ace hasn't lost a game all season."

(tennis) A serve that the opponent fails to touch, winning the point outright.

"She served three aces in a row to close out the match."

verb

To do extremely well in something, such as a test.

"He aced his final exams without much studying."

adj

Excellent; first-rate.

"That was an ace performance from the whole team."

How to Use Ace

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA top card, an expert at something, or (in tennis) an unreturned serve; also used as an informal word for "excellent."

Common pairings

ace of spades ace a test serve an ace

Word Forms

more ace comparative, more ace comparative, aced past tense, aces plural, aces plural, Aces plural, aces singular, most ace superlative, most ace superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She drew the _____ of spades and won the hand.

Etymology

From Old French as, from Latin as, assis, meaning "a unit" or "a small copper coin" — the idea of being the "one" or top unit carried over into cards and skill.

Rhymes for ace

face race pace mace lace Jace peace space trace grace place brace

See all rhymes for ace →