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

What to read next That has implications for our understanding of another type of cosmic eruption, this time a type of supernova called a Type Ia supernova. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 July 2026

But compared with last year — when Jacob Elordi, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Stone, George Clooney and Julia Roberts helped turn Venice into a red-carpet supernova — the wattage is noticeably dimmer. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026

As a next step, the team is now planning to search for other binary supernova remnants. — Damien Pine, Scientific American, 21 July 2026

Plenty of cosmic wonders are expected to be revealed by the telescope, including thousands of previously unseen asteroids, exploding supernova stars and millions of distant galaxies. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 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