hypersonic

adjective

hy·​per·​son·​ic ˌhī-pər-ˈsä-nik 

1

: of or relating to speed five or more times that of sound in air compare sonic

2

: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents that move at hypersonic speed

hypersonic wind tunnel

hypersonically

ˌhī-pər-ˈsä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of hypersonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The company will collaborate with ORNL to streamline production and apply these materials to advanced nuclear power, hypersonic thermal protection systems and fusion energy demonstrators. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026

Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026

Russia's already using the Arctic as a testing ground for its hypersonic missiles, designed to evade U.S. air defenses. —Steve Berriman, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026

Among the weapons Russia has used is the nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile. —Reuters, NBC news, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hypersonic

• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic
• diachronic
• diatonic
• electronic
• embryonic
• excitonic