super

¹

[soo-per]

noun

1. Informal.

   1. a superintendent, especially of an apartment house.

   2. supermarket.

   3. supernumerary.

   4. supervisor.

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

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

4. Printing.,  supercalendered paper.

5. 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

1. of the highest degree, power, etc.

2. of an extreme or excessive degree.

3. Informal.,  very good; first-rate; excellent.

4. (of measurement) superficial.

5. superfine.

adverb

1. Slang.,  very; extremely or excessively.

   super classy; a super large portion of food.

super-

²

1. 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 ).

super.

³

abbreviation

1. superintendent.

2. superior.

super

¹

/ ˈsuːpə /

adjective

1. informal,  outstanding; exceptionally fine

noun

1. petrol with a high octane rating

2. informal,  a superintendent or supervisor

3. informal,  superannuation benefits

4. informal,  superphosphate

interjection

1. informal,  an enthusiastic expression of approval or assent

super-

²

prefix

1. placed above or over

   superscript

2. of greater size, extent, quality, etc

   supermarket

3. surpassing others; outstanding

   superstar

4. beyond a standard or norm; exceeding or exceedingly

   supersonic

5. indicating that a chemical compound contains a specified element in a higher proportion than usual

   superoxide

Word History and Origins

Origin of super¹

First recorded in 1620–30; 1920–25 super for def. 8; independent use of super- (construed as an adjective or adverb), or shortening of words prefixed with it

Origin of super²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of super¹

from Latin: above

Origin of super²

from Latin super above

Example Sentences

The message for investors is that companies that cater to the super rich, like Birkin handbag maker Hermès, jewelers Cartier or Van Cleef & Arpels, are the best bet in this lopsided economy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

An effort to punch back against Leading the Future went public Tuesday: an organization called Public First that plans to back candidates from both parties through two super PACs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“She was super happy to see us, for sure,” Smerdon said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Carolina Medrano, 38, a store employee who on Monday evening rearranged twinkling gold chains, said that even with the discount, business had still been “super slow.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The push for apprenticeships would be a super helpful for growing our business," he added.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• great 
• magnificent 
• marvelous 
• outstanding 
• sensational 
• superb 
• terrific 
• topnotch 

When To Use

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.