FromMiddle Englishpereles,perles; equivalent topeer +-less.
peerless (comparativemorepeerless,superlativemostpeerless)
- Withoutpeer orequal;unparalleled,nonpareil. Of the highest quality,best.
c.1606 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act I, scene iv],page134:Let's after him, / Whoſe care is gone before, to bid vs welcome: / It is apeerleſſe Kinſman.
1872 September –1873 July,Thomas Hardy, “‘XXXV’”, inA Pair of Blue Eyes. […], volume(please specify |volume=I to III), London:Tinsley Brothers, […], published1873,→OCLC:Having now seen himself mistaken in supposing Elfride to bepeerless, nothing on earth could make him believe she was not so very bad after all.
1880,Mark Twain[pseudonym] (Samuel L[anghorne] Clemens), chapter L, inA Tramp Abroad; […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company; London:Chatto & Windus,→OCLC,page579:After wearying oneself with the acres of stuffy, sappy, expressionless babies that populate the canvases of the Old Masters in Italy, it is refreshing to stand before thispeerless child and feel that thrill which tells you you are at last in the presence of the real thing.
1922 February,James Joyce, “[9]”, inUlysses, Paris:Shakespeare and Company, […],→OCLC:Telegram! Malachi Mulligan, The Ship, lower Abbey street. O, youpeerless mummer! O, you priestified Kinchite!
1961,Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, inThe Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page47:“Would you go into the dragon's lair, mypeerless Wiglaf?”
2022 December 4, Phil McNulty, “England 3-0 Senegal”, inBBC Sport[1]:Foden has also grown into this World Cup, having scored against Wales and creating two goals here. England's midfield and attack is taking shape with perfect timing for what will be the sternest of tests against France and thepeerlessMbappe.
