supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Americanadjective
Usage
What does supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mean? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a nonsensical word that is sometimes used to describe something as being great or extraordinary. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is used especially by children and fans of Disney movies to describe something as being really good. Outside of this use, this gigantic word is often cited as being one of the longest words in the English language. At 34 letters, it is longer than other mouthfuls, such as antidisestablishmentarianism and floccinaucinihilipilification. If you are a fan of these and other long words, take a look at our article “The Longest Words in the English Language.”Example: My daughter loves our new puppy so much that she said it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Explanation
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a very long nonsense word meaning "fabulous" or "splendiferous." It became well-known after the release of the 1964 film Mary Poppins, and as the tune says, "If you say it loud enough, you'll always sound precocious." Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was made popular by the movie and its soundtrack, which includes a song that manages to rhyme the cumbersome word with both "atrocious" and "precocious." But the invented adjective was already being used in 1930s slang to describe something grand or wonderful. Sometimes the 34-letter supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is incorrectly cited as the longest word in English, but according to most dictionaries, that honor actually belongs to a 45-letter term for a lung disease caused by inhaling volcanic dust.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pair skated to songs by gay icons such as Dolly Parton and Cher and particularly excelled in the movies and musical weeks, whether performing to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or Don't Cry for Me Argentina.
From BBC • Jan. 5, 2025
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Chim Chim Cheree, naturally, also feature.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2019
The flash mob danced to songs he immortalized in the film, including "Jolly Holiday," "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "Step in Time," and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
From US News • Dec. 14, 2015
One week, we decided to re-enact the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious scene using our stuffed animals.
From Slate • Jan. 31, 2013
She and co-star Dick Van Dyke performed the Sherman brothers' "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in the former.
From Reuters • Dec. 22, 2010
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
