super
1 Americannoun
-
Informal.
-
a superintendent, especially of an apartment house.
-
-
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.
adverb
abbreviation
-
superintendent.
-
superior.
adjective
noun
-
petrol with a high octane rating
-
informal a superintendent or supervisor
-
informal superannuation benefits
-
informal superphosphate
interjection
prefix
-
placed above or over
superscript
-
of greater size, extent, quality, etc
supermarket
-
surpassing others; outstanding
superstar
-
beyond a standard or norm; exceeding or exceedingly
supersonic
-
indicating that a chemical compound contains a specified element in a higher proportion than usual
superoxide
Usage
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.
- Used in a sentence: Janet’s work on the project was super and earned her a promotion.
- Used in a sentence: My sister is so super scared of mice that seeing a cartoon mouse frightens her.
Etymology
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 super-2
< Latin super (preposition and v. prefix) above, beyond, in addition, to an especially high degree; akin to Greek hypér ( hyper- ), Sanskrit upari; over
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They couldn't manage the same feat against Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby just after Christmas, but they were a Raphael Sallinger super save away from a point.
From BBC
This “problem” had a wonderful solution, a beautiful, super fresh, and delicious sashimi platter that Morgan and I absolutely devoured.
From Salon
“We’re not gated by the number of electricians in the area,” he said in a November interview explaining Microsoft’s latest multisite AI data centers, which the company has called a “super factory.”
Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that having super efficient and powerful chips means nothing if you don’t have the electricity to use them.
From Barron's
“There was always music but it was never about him being super good at music even though he was just so incredibly talented,” Dusty said.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
