superhuman

adjective

su·​per·​hu·​man ˌsü-pər-ˈhyü-mən 

-ˈyü-

1

: being above the human : divine

superhuman beings

2

: exceeding normal human power, size, or capability : herculean

a superhuman effort

superhuman strength

also : having such power, size, or capability

superhumanity

ˌsü-pər-hyü-ˈma-nə-tē 

-yü-

noun

superhumanly

ˌsü-pər-ˈhyü-mən-lē 

-ˈyü-

adverb

superhumanness

ˌsü-pər-ˈhyü-mən-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• magical
• miraculous
• phenomenal
• preternatural
• supernatural
• supernormal
• transcendent
• transcendental
• uncanny
• unearthly

Examples of superhuman in a Sentence

The character in the film acquires superhuman powers.

It will take a superhuman effort for them to win the championship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tommy, taking after his uncle Pietro, can move at superhuman speed, while Billy shares Wanda’s magical abilities. —Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

On Tuesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was talking about superhuman devices. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024

Hassabis, a chess prodigy at age 4, quickly made headlines with AlphaZero, an AI that taught itself to play chess at a superhuman level. —Marc Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024

Does Murray need to be superhuman for the Cardinals to win, Burkhardt asked? —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

superhuman

adjective

su·​per·​hu·​man ˌsü-pər-ˈhyü-mən 

-ˈyü-

1

: being above the human : divine

superhuman beings

2

: going beyond normal human power, size, or capability

a superhuman effort

superhumanly adverb

superhumanness noun