supernova

noun

su·​per·​no·​va ˌsü-pər-ˈnō-və 

1

: the explosion of a star in which the star may reach a maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun

2

: one that explodes into prominence or popularity

also : superstar

Did you know?

A nova, despite its name, isn't actually a "new" star, but rather one that wasn't noticed until it exploded, when it may increase in brightness by a million times before returning to its previous state a few days later. A supernova is far larger; a star in its supernova state may emit a billion times as much light as previously. After a few weeks it begins to dim, until it eventually ceases to exist; it's often replaced by a black hole. (Though remains that were shot out into space may survive; those of a great supernova seen in A.D. 1054 are now known as the Crab Nebula.) All this may serve as a warning to those human stars whose fame explodes too rapidly; supernovas of this kind have sometimes vanished by the following year.

Synonyms of supernova

• success
• hit
• blockbuster
• winner

Examples of supernova in a Sentence

tragically, a shoulder injury cut short the pitching career of one of baseball's brightest supernovas

Recent Examples on the Web

Amazingly, all this energy from the supernova is only a small fraction (about 1 percent) of the total that’s emitted! — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026

These outflows, scientists say, inject an amount of energy comparable to several billion supernova explosions, driving turbulence through hot gas across distances of roughly 300,000 light-years —far beyond the boundaries of the host galaxy itself. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Their resultant study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters documents one of the rarest cosmic occurrences on record, while also raising new questions about what’s possible during a supernova explosion. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026

The romance survived a brief split in 1985 and the band’s subsequent supernova ascent. — Jp Mangalindan, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for supernova

• villanova
• jehovah
• nova
• ova

Kids Definition

supernova

noun

su·​per·​no·​va ˌsü-pər-ˈnō-və 

: the explosion of a very large star in which the star temporarily gives off up to one billion times more energy than the sun