super

1 of 4

adjective

su·​per ˈsü-pər 

1

a

: of high grade or quality

b

—used as a generalized term of approval

a super cook

2

: very large or powerful

a super atomic bomb

3

: exhibiting the characteristics of its type to an extreme or excessive degree

super secrecy

super

2 of 4

noun

1

[by shortening]

a

: supernumerary

especially : a supernumerary actor

b

: superintendent, supervisor

especially : the superintendent of an apartment building

2

[short for obsolete superhive] : a removable upper story of a beehive

3

[super entry 1] : a superfine grade or extra large size

4

[origin unknown] : a thin loosely woven open-meshed starched cotton fabric used especially for reinforcing books

super

3 of 4

adverb

1

: very, extremely

a super fast car

2

: to an excessive degree

super-

4 of 4

prefix

1

a(1)

: over and above : higher in quantity, quality, or degree than : more than

superhuman

(2)

: in addition : extra

supertax

b(1)

: exceeding or so as to exceed a norm

superheat

(2)

: in or to an extreme or excessive degree or intensity

supersubtle

c

: surpassing all or most others of its kind

superhighway

2

a

: situated or placed above, on, or at the top of

superlunary

specifically : situated on the dorsal side of

b

: next above or higher

supertonic

3

: having the (specified) ingredient present in a large or unusually large proportion

superphosphate

4

: constituting a more inclusive category than that specified

superfamily

5

: superior in status, title, or position

superpower

Synonyms

Adjective

• astronomical
• astronomic
• Brobdingnagian
• bumper
• colossal
• cosmic
• cosmical
• cyclopean
• elephantine
• enormous
• galactic
• gargantuan
• giant
• gigantesque
• gigantic
• grand
• herculean
• heroic
• heroical
• Himalayan
• huge
• humongous
• humungous
• immense
• jumbo
• king-size
• king-sized
• leviathan
• mammoth
• massive
• mega
• mighty
• monster
• monstrous
• monumental
• mountainous
• oceanic
• pharaonic
• planetary
• prodigious
• super-duper
• supersize
• supersized
• titanic
• tremendous
• vast
• vasty
• walloping
• whacking
• whopping

Adverb

• achingly
• almighty
• archly
• awful
• awfully
• badly
• beastly
• blisteringly
• bone
• colossally
• corking
• cracking
• damn
• damned
• dang
• deadly
• desperately
• eminently
• enormously
• especially
• ever
• exceedingly
• exceeding
• extra
• extremely
• fabulously
• fantastically
• far
• fiercely
• filthy
• frightfully
• full
• greatly
• heavily
• highly
• hugely
• immensely
• incredibly
• intensely
• jolly
• majorly
• mightily
• mighty
• monstrous [chiefly dialect]
• mortally
• most
• much
• particularly
• passing
• rattling
• real
• really
• right
• roaring
• roaringly
• seriously
• severely
• so
• sore
• sorely
• spanking
• specially
• stinking
• such
• supremely
• surpassingly
• terribly
• that
• thumping
• too
• unco
• uncommonly
• vastly
• very
• vitally
• way
• whacking
• wicked
• wildly

Examples of super in a Sentence

Adjective

We had a super time.

“Yes, I'd love to come.” “Super! I'll see you later.”

Adverb

my computer is super slow this morning

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Outside groups have come in big for Brown to the tune of $4.2 million, and Gunter is enough of a danger that the pro-Brown Duty First Nevada super PAC is running ads portraying Gunter as a fake Republican. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 9 June 2024

The game went to super over, or the equivalent of extra innings in baseball. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 7 June 2024

Noun

Outside groups, mainly the pro-cryptocurrency Defend American Jobs super PAC, have spent $1.9 million to boost Timmons, compared with just $319,000 in outside spending supporting Morgan. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 9 June 2024

While last year’s team went undefeated in the regionals and super regionals, this season, Stanford needed to win three elimination games to advance to the WCWS, an experience that Allison hopes will make the team more prepared this week. —Harold Gutmann, The Mercury News, 27 May 2024

Adverb

Don’t forget that recycling doesn’t work super well. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

Plus, whereas some ice makers have been known to grow mold in hard-to-reach places, this model is super easy to keep clean. —Rennie Dyball, Peoplemag, 11 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

super-

Adverb

super-

Prefix

Latin, over, above, in addition, from super over, above, on top of — more at over

First Known Use

Adjective

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing super

• super-duper
• super G
• super glue
• super-minister
• super-person
• super-romantic
• super-spreader
• super-spreading

Kids Definition

super

1 of 4 adjective

su·​per ˈsü-pər 

1

—used as an overall term of approval

a super cook

2

: very large or powerful

a super atomic bomb

3

: showing the characteristics of its type to an extreme degree

super secrecy

super

2 of 4 noun

1

: an actor not listed with the regular cast

2

: superintendent, supervisor

super

3 of 4 adverb

1

: very entry 2 sense 1, extremely

a super fast car

2

: to a degree exceeding the usual or normal

super critical

super-

4 of 4 prefix

1

a

: over and above : higher in quantity, quality, or degree than : more than

superfine

superhuman

b

: exceeding or so as to exceed what is usual or normal

supercool

c

: bigger, better, or more important than others of the same kind

superhighway

superstar

2

a

: situated or placed above, on, or at the top of

superimpose

b

: next above or higher

supertonic

Etymology

Prefix

derived from Latin super "over, above"