Jump To:

• ultra
  ultra

  adjective

  going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.
• ultra-
  ultra-

  a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “on the far side of, beyond.” In relation to the base to which it is prefixed, ultra- has the senses “located beyond, on the far side of ” (ultramontane; ultraviolet ), “carrying to the furthest degree possible, on the fringe of ” (ultraleft; ultramodern ), “extremely” (ultralight ); nouns to which it is added denote, in general, objects, properties, phenomena, etc., that surpass customary norms, or instruments designed to produce or deal with such things (ultramicroscope; ultrasound; ultrastructure ).

ultra

¹ American  

[uhl-truh] / ˈʌl trə /

adjective

1. going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.

---

noun

• ultras
  plural

1. an extremist, as in politics, religion, fashion, etc.

2. Military. Ultra, the British code name for intelligence gathered by decrypting German wireless communications enciphered on the Enigma machine during World War II.

ultra- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “on the far side of, beyond.” In relation to the base to which it is prefixed, ultra- has the senses “located beyond, on the far side of ” (ultramontane; ultraviolet ), “carrying to the furthest degree possible, on the fringe of ” (ultraleft; ultramodern ), “extremely” (ultralight ); nouns to which it is added denote, in general, objects, properties, phenomena, etc., that surpass customary norms, or instruments designed to produce or deal with such things (ultramicroscope; ultrasound; ultrastructure ).

---

ultra ¹ British  

/ ˈʌltrə /

adjective

1. extreme or immoderate, esp in beliefs or opinions

---

noun

1. an extremist

ultra- ² British  

prefix

1. beyond or surpassing a specified extent, range, or limit

   ultramicroscopic

2. extreme or extremely

   ultramodern

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ultras
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of ultra¹

Independent use of ultra-, or shortening of words prefixed with it

Origin of ultra-²

From Latin ultrā (adverb and preposition) “on the far side,” derivative of ulter (unrecorded) “located beyond”

---

Explanation

Use the adjective ultra to describe something extreme, like your ultra strict parents or your own ultra radical political views. If your sister is ultra uptight and your English teacher's syllabus is ultra traditional, it means that both of them hold unusual opinions, far outside of the normal range. Neither would be a good fit for your own ultra relaxed philosophy of life. Ultra means "beyond" in Latin, and its meaning of "outside the norm" comes from the French word ultra-royaliste, or "extreme royalist." Eventually, it was shortened to just ultra, to describe any extreme opinion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ultra ultra- ultras

So with time short, she motivated her players by telling them stories, including one about how ultra marathoners push through pain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

Musk said the car was equipped with 10 nozzles and "ultra high-pressure air tanks" to propel itself into the air and accelerate quickly on the ground.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Qantas is betting that ultra long-haul routes will persuade customers to pay higher ticket prices for shorter travel times and greater comfort.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

“I do think that it’s really hard to try to move your kids towards healthy eating habits when the overall culture is very permissive of ultra processed foods,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

A year later Joseph Glanvill published Plus ultra: or the Progress and Advancement of Knowledge since the Days of Aristotle.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

In particular, she said, “fares for Etihad’s unique, ultra-luxury, ultra- private offering are not subject to discounts or promotional fares.”

From Forbes ● Mar. 8, 2015

For the ultra- dedicated gamer in your life, you can pick up Dragon Age Inquisition, which has a 40 hour story and about 200 hours worth of stuff to do in total.

From Forbes ● Nov. 28, 2014

This type of story, says Michael Hurt, a former English teacher who is now completing a P.H.D. in Seoul, has helped turn teachers into an "easy target" for ultra- nationalists.

From Time ● Dec. 24, 2010

"If you convince people that the Messiah is coming and he doesn't," says Amnon Levy, author of a book on the ultra- Orthodox, "a whole generation may lose its faith."

From Time Magazine Archive

Be sure to moisturize with an ultra- hydrating serum like The Corporation’s new Skin So Right B14 Complex for Total Cell Renewal, made with essential vitamins, minerals, and concentrated yak’s bladder.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Desmond went on to criticise a section of fans over a recent incident that led to the Green Brigade ultras group being banned and added: "Those people are bullies."

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

The ultras then set off red pyrotechnics which turned the compass needle back in the direction of the fans.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

They organized visits from true-blue French soccer ultras for a cultural exchange: the Europeans taught chants while the Texans taught barbecue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

Over the past years he has had 62 million views on TikTok and 10 million on Youtube channel showing Scottish ultras from grassroots level to topflight clubs.

From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026

On one side the ultras, whose objection to transfer a portion of the Royal authority to what they call the aristocracy, occupy nearly all the posts which influence the operations of the electoral assemblies.

From Memoirs To Illustrate The History Of My Time Volume 1 by John William Cole

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---