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

superscript

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 of super

Adjective

• huge
• giant
• gigantic
• vast
• tremendous
• enormous
• massive
• colossal
• mammoth
• astronomical
• immense
• bumper
• monumental
• mighty
• big
• monster

Adverb

• extremely
• very
• incredibly
• terribly
• highly
• too
• damn
• so
• damned
• really
• badly

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

Below is a super-fun creature feature, a climate-aware cross between a kaiju film, a Stephen King story, Jaws, and Jurassic Park. — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

But the majority of the country’s stormwater infrastructure was not built for heavier bouts of rain brought by a warming climate — and now experts are warning the ongoing super El Niño will further expose those risks across the nation. — Erin Douglas, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Noun

Try living on 55 Cancri-e, a super-Earth with daytime temperatures above 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026

New since last week, Lone Star Rising PAC, a super-PAC supporting Talarico, is spending more than $4 million. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026

Adverb

There’s a lot more competition now, especially with the celebrity beauty brands and the indie or niche brands that are blowing up on TikTok, which is a super popular platform for discovering new beauty products. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Its industrial humanoid super smart factory in Liuzhou, Guangxi, began operating on September 12. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for super

• grouper
• hooper
• keuper
• looper
• stupor
• trooper
• paratrooper

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"