ultra

play

adjective ul·tra \ˈəl-trə\

Definition of ultra

: going beyond others or beyond due limit : extreme

See ultra defined for kids

Examples of ultra in a Sentence

espouses a kind of ultra conservatism that even some members of his own party cannot support

Recent Examples of ultra from the Web

Ultra-creamy burrata collapses into a luscious sauce, mixing with the pesto and turning it all a speckled light green.

— melissa clark, New York Times, "Pasta, Herbs and Plenty of Melting Mozzarella," 14 July 2017
Tom Craddick, an ultra-conservative Republican lawmaker, became the the Speaker of the House that year.

— michelle legro, Longreads, "What’s the Matter With Texas? How Long Do You Have?," 13 July 2017
One of the crunkest songs of the year, the Big Apple rappers sound right at home on the ultra-Southern single.

— AL.com, "15 times Northern and Southern hip-hop artists made hot tracks together," 11 July 2017
Earlier, Abe’s wife, Akie, was alleged to have used her influence in a school opening for an ultra-nationalistic Osaka educational group that she was closely associated with.

— Washington Post, "Japan’s leader sees popularity sink, seeks Cabinet shuffle," 10 July 2017
While training for an ultra-marathon in Australia a few years back, Russell Radebaugh discovered an oats, milk and grain breakfast dish that was not only healthy but kept him full for hours.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Encinitas duo make Brekki their big break," 6 July 2017
But demand for small, ultra-fuel-efficient cars has waned drastically with lower fuel prices.

— bill vlasic, New York Times, "After Years of Growth, Automakers Are Cutting U.S. Jobs," 4 July 2017
Case in point: Whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that American telecommunications companies shared vast amounts of personal data with the ultra-secret U.S. National Security Agency, where Geers once worked.

— david goldstein and greg gordon, chicagotribune.com, "Documents link Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky to FSB spy agency," 3 July 2017
Over 4,200 ultra-marathoners applied to run in this 44th annual race over a torturous course that includes 18,000 feet of ascent and 23,000 feet of descent.

— The Aegis, "Six year wait leads to finish of lifetime for Ron Green," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ultra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ultra

ultra-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1818

See Words from the same year

ultra

noun ul·tra

Definition of ultra

: one that is ultra : extremist

Origin and Etymology of ultra

ultra-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1819

See Words from the same year

ultra-

prefix ul·tra

Definition of ultra-

1 : beyond in space : on the other side : trans- ultraviolet
2 : beyond the range or limits of : transcending : super- ultramicroscopic
3 : beyond what is ordinary, proper, or moderate : excessively : extremely ultramodern