Ace is a word with severalmore than two, but not many very different meanings. It can refer to top quality, a very skilled person, a perfect score or success, a playing card, a tennis serve, or other technicalused in a specific subject or profession sensesdifferent meanings of a word or expression.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /eɪs/
Easy pronunciation: AYS (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, stressed on the whole word.
Adjective meaning of the highest quality.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Ace Meaning
excellent; top quality
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: of the highest quality
Example: She’s an ace editor who catches every mistake.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- first-rate — A strong everyday substitute meaning excellent quality.
- top-notch — Common informal synonym for very good or excellent.
- tops — Informal synonym meaning the best.
- super — Can mean excellent in informal use, though it is broader and less precise.
- tiptop — Means excellent, usually in informal English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Ace
Meaning 2
a very skilled or talented person
Part of speech: noun
Definition: someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
Example: She’s an ace at math.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- adept — A good substitute for a skilled person.
- hotshot — Informal word for someone very talented or successful.
- maven — A person with strong knowledge or skill in a subject.
- virtuoso — Usually used for exceptional skill, especially in music or the arts.
- wizard — Informal word for someone extremely skilled.
- whiz — Informal synonym for a very capable person.
Meaning 3
do very well or complete successfully with little difficulty
Part of speech: verb
Definition: succeed at easily
Example: She aced the exam.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- nail — Informal synonym meaning do extremely well.
- breeze through — Means complete something very easily.
- sail through — Means pass or complete with little effort.
- pass with flying colors — Common phrase for succeeding very well.
Meaning 4
the number one
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
Example: Write ace as 1.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- one — The standard word for the number 1.
- single — Can mean one, though it is less exact in some contexts.
Meaning 5
a tennis serve that is not returned
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a serve that the receiver is unable to reach
Example: She hit an ace down the middle.
Meaning 6
a playing card with one symbol
Part of speech: noun
Definition: one of four playing cards in a deck having a single pip on its face
Example: He played the ace of spades.
Meaning 7
finish a golf hole in one shot
Part of speech: verb
Definition: play (a hole) in one stroke
Example: He aced the 7th hole.
Meaning 8
hit an ace past an opponent
Part of speech: verb
Definition: score an ace against
Example: He aced his opponents.
Meaning 9
serve an ace to an opponent
Part of speech: verb
Definition: serve an ace against (someone)
Example: She aced her rival twice in the final set.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Ace Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- first-rate
- top-notch
- tops
- super
- tiptop
a very skilled or talented person
- adept
- hotshot
- maven
- virtuoso
- wizard
- whiz
do very well or complete successfully with little difficulty
- nail
- breeze through
- sail through
- pass with flying colors
the number one
- one
- single
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse ace meaning 'excellent' with ace meaning the number one.
- Do not mix up ace as a tennis serve with ace as a skilled person or with the playing card.
- In golf, ace is a verb meaning to hole out in one stroke, not the noun for a perfect serve in tennis.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ace mean in English?
Ace can mean excellent, a very skilled person, the number one, a tennis serve that is not returned, or a playing card with one symbol.
What is the most common meaning of ace?
In everyday English, ace is often used informally to mean excellent or top quality, or to describe someone who is very skilled.
What are the best synonyms for ace?
For the meaning 'excellent,' good synonyms are first-rate and top-notch. For 'very skilled person,' strong synonyms include adept, hotshot, maven, and whiz.
Is ace always positive?
Usually yes when it means excellent or skilled, but it can also be a technical term in sports, cards, math, or education.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.