super

[ soo-per ]

/ ˈsu pər /

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See synonyms for super on Thesaurus.com

noun

Informal.

a superintendent, especially of an apartment house.
supermarket.
supernumerary.
supervisor.

an article of a superior quality, grade, size, etc.

(in beekeeping) the portion of a hive in which honey is stored.

Printing. supercalendered paper.

Television. an additional image superimposed on the original video image: A super of the guest's name is included under the picture when the guest is introduced.

adjective

of the highest degree, power, etc.

of an extreme or excessive degree.

Informal. very good; first-rate; excellent.

(of measurement) superficial.

superfine.

adverb

Slang. very; extremely or excessively: super classy; a super large portion of food.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of super

1620–30; 1920–25 for def. 8; independent use of super- (construed as an adj. or adv.), or shortening of words prefixed with it

Words nearby super

Suomi, suovetaurilia, sup, Sup. Ct., supe, super, superable, superabound, superabsorbent, superabundant, superacute

Definition for super (2 of 3)

super-

a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “above, beyond.” Words formed with super- have the following general senses: “to place or be placed above or over” (superimpose; supersede), “a thing placed over or added to another” (superscript; superstructure; supertax), “situated over” (superficial; superlunary) and, more figuratively, “an individual, thing, or property that exceeds customary norms or levels” (superalloy; superconductivity; superman; superstar), “an individual or thing larger, more powerful, or with wider application than others of its kind” (supercomputer; superhighway; superpower; supertanker), “exceeding the norms or limits of a given class” (superhuman; superplastic), “having the specified property to a great or excessive degree” (supercritical; superfine; supersensitive), “to subject to (a physical process) to an extreme degree or in an unusual way” (supercharge; supercool; supersaturate), “a category that embraces a number of lesser items of the specified kind” (superfamily; supergalaxy), “a chemical compound with a higher proportion than usual of a given constituent” (superphosphate).

Origin of super-

<Latin super (preposition and v. prefix) above, beyond, in addition, to an especially high degree; akin to Greek hypér (see hyper-), Sanskrit upari;see over

Definition for super (3 of 3)

super.

abbreviation

superintendent.

superior.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of super?

Super is an adjective that describes something as of the highest power or an extreme degree or as excellent. Super is also used in slang as an adverb meaning very or extremely. Super has several other senses as a noun and an adjective.

If something is super, it is of the highest power, rank, authority, or similar quality or is the most extreme. Unsurprisingly, this sense of super is often used for emphasis in marketing or informal writing.

Real-life examples: A store might advertise a super sale that is supposedly the biggest one of the year. A lottery might have a super jackpot that is the largest jackpot possible. The National Football League’s biggest and most important game is called the Super Bowl. In the United States, the term Super Tuesday refers to the day when the most states hold presidential primary elections.
Used in a sentence: Many people are concerned about the influence super PACs have in politics because they don’t have a spending limit.

Informally, super is used to mean something is excellent.

Used in a sentence: Janet’s work on the project was super and earned her a promotion.

Super is commonly used in slang as an adverb to mean very or extremely.

Used in a sentence: My sister is so super scared of mice that seeing a cartoon mouse frightens her.

Where does super come from?

The first records of super come from around 1620. It is an independent word that comes from the Latin prefix super-, which means “above,” “beyond,” or “to a very high degree.”

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What are some synonyms for super?

What are some words that share a root or word element with super?

What are some words that often get used in discussing super?

How is super used in real life?

Super is a common word that is most often used in the slang sense meaning “extremely.”

I was super scared of the Bermuda Triangle as a kid.

— Olivia Puckett (@oliviapuckett) May 15, 2018

all Denny’s are connected by a system of super secret roads called “highways”

— Denny’s (@DennysDiner) July 21, 2019

France: Winner of €72 million Super Jackpot will give €50 million to charity. #nice

— Stefan de Vries (@stefandevries) May 29, 2014

Try using super!

True or False?

If someone says that a speaker is super loud, it means that the speaker is very loud.

Example sentences from the Web for super

It was a viral meme using the technology that led her to research the possibility—and discover that it was super easy and completely free.
Memers are making deepfakes, and things are getting weird|Karen Hao|August 28, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Ives believes this year in particular will be what he deems a “super cycle,” with roughly 350 million of the company’s 950 million iPhone users due for an upgrade.
As Apple stock tops $500, bulls cite these key reasons it could still go higher|Anne Sraders|August 24, 2020|Fortune
It’s super important you understand what’s going on so you can make decisions for the future.
Brynne Kennedy could be the first female tech founder to serve in Congress|ehinchliffe|August 24, 2020|Fortune
To grasp why beaten-down value stocks look like the place to be in this super-pricey market, just compare the bargain bank stocks to the high-flying S&P 500.
Despite Warren Buffett’s selloff, bank stocks look like great buys in this market|Shawn Tully|August 18, 2020|Fortune

As value shows it can clear that super-low bar, value stocks will deliver strong gains, just as in past recoveries.
The champ’s big comeback: Why beaten-down value stocks are poised to thrive|Shawn Tully|August 18, 2020|Fortune
Boys are taught early in life to devalue care, to be hyper-competitive, super-achieving men.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The relationships, and motivations of their chief participants, are as tangled and shady as you expect of the super-rich.
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Further, in the Super Tuesday states of Florida, Texas, and Virginia, Paul is operating at a decided disadvantage.
GOP Won’t Forgive Rand for Cop Critique|Lloyd Green|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Goff called it “insulting” to suggest that he might be running a super PAC for personal gain.
‘Ready for Romney’ Is Amateur Hour|Tim Mak|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Romneyland is abuzz over the new super PAC—and not in a good way.
‘Ready for Romney’ Is Amateur Hour|Tim Mak|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not only did he provide sub-octave and super-octave couplers freely, but he even added a Swell Sub-quint to Great coupler!
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
This circumstance alone, ought to be strong evidence, even to a skeptic, of its super-human origin.
Gospel Philosophy|J. H. Ward
His eyes were sighting along an instrument of his own devising as if he were aiming some super-gun of a great air cruiser.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931|Various
Lords not only ought to be gentlefolk, and be fed and waited upon and live in affluent idleness, but super-gentlefolk.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 16, 1917.|Various
It was more ferocious than the merely brutal glare of a tiger; it was an intentional malignity, super-beastly and sub-human.
Overland|John William De Forest