superlative

American  

[suh-pur-luh-tiv, soo-] / səˈpɜr lə tɪv, sʊ- /

adjective

1. of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or others; supreme; extreme.

   superlative wisdom.

   Synonyms:

   preeminent, magnificent, excellent, surpassing

2. Grammar. of, relating to, or noting the highest degree of the comparison of adjectives and adverbs, as smallest, best, and most carefully, the superlative forms of small, good, and carefully.

3. being more than is proper or normal; exaggerated in language or style.

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noun

• superlatives
  plural

1. a superlative person or thing.

2. the utmost degree; acme.

3. Grammar.

   1. the superlative degree.

   2. a form in the superlative.

superlative British  

/ suːˈpɜːlətɪv /

adjective

1. of outstanding quality, degree, etc; supreme

2. grammar denoting the form of an adjective or adverb that expresses the highest or a very high degree of quality. In English the superlative degree is usually marked by the suffix -est or the word most, as in loudest or most loudly Compare positive comparative

3. (of language or style) excessive; exaggerated

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noun

1. a thing that excels all others or is of the highest quality

2. grammar the superlative form of an adjective

3. the highest degree; peak

superlative Cultural  

1. The form of an adjective indicating the greatest degree of the quality that the adjective describes. Best is the superlative form of good; fastest is the superlative form of fast; most charming is the superlative form of charming. The usual superlative takes the ending -est. (Compare comparative.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superlativeness
  noun
• unsuperlativeness
  noun
• unsuperlative
  adjective
• superlatively
  adverb
• unsuperlatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• superlatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of superlative

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin superlātīvus, equivalent to Latin superlāt(us) “excessive, extravagant” (from super- super- + lātus, used as past participle of ferre “to carry, bring” ( see bear ¹) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English superlatif, from Old French, from Late Latin, as above

Explanation

A superlative is the highest attainable level or degree of something. As an adjective superlative means highest in quality. When your history test results are superlative, it means you've gotten a perfect score — you've done as well as can be done, if not better than everyone else. There are times, however, when a superlative is an exaggerated expression of praise, as when a movie reviewer gets carried away with compliments and says in January that this is "the best film of the year."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superlative superlatives

It wasn’t pretty, but a superlative defensive effort and two impressive first-half drives gave the Cavaliers just enough to defeat the Patriots 14-9.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Don added he had "always relished the craft of programme making" and paid tribute to the "superlative BBC team" he worked with over the years.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

It’s tough to top the superlative energy Moore shared with Asner, Valerie Harper’s wisecracking Rhoda Morgenstern and Cloris Leachman as Mary’s smugly married downstairs neighbor, Phyllis.

From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2026

“The more investors believe in this continuing productivity boom, the more money investors will make as the superlative returns for the leading Mag 7 become the superlative returns for the lagging Rest.”

From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026

Every writer faces the challenge of finding a superlative in the English word-hoard that has not been inflated by hyperbole and overuse.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Veteran teammates have been even looser with their superlatives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

Kane attracts superlatives and respect like a magnet.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Raymond James analyst Melissa Fairbanks said she’s “running out of superlatives to describe performance” for Micron.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

But Musk, now almost 55, was right about the power of superlatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Still, the broadcasters knew—everyone in the audience knew—that even with twenty-six manned flights under NASA’s belt, this was different, and they struggled to come up with superlatives to capture the moment.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• magnificent
• outstanding
• peerless
• superb
• transcendent
• unparalleled