supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

American  

[soo-per-kal-uh-fraj-uh-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-i-doh-shuhs] / ˌsu pərˌkæl əˌfrædʒ əˌlɪs tɪkˌɛk spiˌæl ɪˈdoʊ ʃəs /

adjective

1. (used as a nonsense word to express approval or as an example of a very long word in English.)

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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

It’s too little too late to make for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience in retrospect, but for a moment, at least, you’re glad you stayed awake.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2018

It’ll leave you feeling something short of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

From Slate • Dec. 13, 2013

Describing the film as "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" - the title of the film's most celebrated number - festival director Clare Stewart said it was "positively overflowing with its ebullient love of storytelling and the film-making process".

From BBC • Aug. 8, 2013

For my part, I feel no less supercalifragilisticexpialidocious than I did before Bestmann waved his wand.

From The Guardian • Jun. 2, 2012

They even empty Tom's whitewash pot of its humor and fill it with one of their characteristically neologistic songs, Gratification�which is not exactly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

From Time Magazine Archive