superb

See also: süperb

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin superbuslbor.

English superb

Learned borrowing from Latin superbus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /suːˈpɜːb/, (conservative RP, rare) /sjuːˈpɜːb/
• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): /sʉwˈpəːb/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /suˈpɝb/, /səˈpɝb/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /sʉˈpɛɾb/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /sɪʊˈpøːb/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)b
• Hyphenation: su‧perb

Adjective

superb (comparative superber, superlative superbest)

1. First-rate; of the highest quality; exceptionally good.

   This champagne is superb.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.

   • 1975 May 4, Dale Harris, “Merce Cunningham”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 26 April 2024:

     The hundredodd pages of photographs provide superb iconography of artistic collaboration and its rewards.

2. Grand; magnificent; august; stately.

   a superb edifice;  a superb colonnade

3. (dated) Haughty.
   • 1858, Julia Kavanagh, Adèle, a Tale: Volume 2, page 235:

     A remark which Isabella received with a superb curl of the lip, but at the same time, and to her brother's infinite relief, she walked away.

Synonyms

• excellent, superlative, world-beating

Derived terms

• superb fairywren
• superbity
• superb lily
• superbly
• superb lyrebird
• superbness
• superb owl
• superb parrot
• superb warbler

Translations

of the highest quality; exceptionally good

• Bulgarian: изключителен (bg) (izključitelen), превъзходен (bg) (prevǎzhoden), великолепен (bg) (velikolepen)
• Catalan: soberg (ca)
• Czech: znamenitý, vynikající (cs), jedinečný (cs)
• Dutch: eersteklas (nl)
• French: superbe (fr)
• German: großartig (de) m, superb (de)
• Norman: supèrbe m or f
• Polish: znakomity (pl) m
• Portuguese: soberbo (pt), extraordinário (pt)
• Romanian: superb (ro), excepțional (ro)
• Russian: отменный (ru) (otmennyj), отли́чный (ru) (otlíčnyj), великоле́пный (ru) (velikolépnyj), превосхо́дный (ru) (prevosxódnyj)
• Spanish: excepcional (es), excelente (es), magnífico (es), superbo (es) (disused), soberbio (es)
• Swedish: storartad (sv)
• Volapük: süperik (vo)

Anagrams

• BUPERS, Repubs

Danish

Etymology

Via French superbe, from Latin superbus.

Adjective

superb (neuter superbt, plural and definite singular attributive superbe)

1. superb

Inflection

Inflection of superb

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	superb	—	—2
indefinite neuter singular	superbt	—	—2
plural	superbe	—	—2
definite attributive1	superbe	—	—

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

• “superb” in Den Danske Ordbog

German

Alternative forms

• süperb

Etymology

Borrowed from French superbe, from Latin superbus.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

superb (strong nominative masculine singular superber, not comparable)

1. superb

Declension

Positive forms of superb (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist superb	sie ist superb	es ist superb	sie sind superb
strong declension (without article)	nominative	superber	superbe	superbes	superbe
	genitive	superben	superber	superben	superber
	dative	superbem	superber	superbem	superben
	accusative	superben	superbe	superbes	superbe
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der superbe	die superbe	das superbe	die superben
	genitive	des superben	der superben	des superben	der superben
	dative	dem superben	der superben	dem superben	den superben
	accusative	den superben	die superbe	das superbe	die superben
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein superber	eine superbe	ein superbes	(keine) superben
	genitive	eines superben	einer superben	eines superben	(keiner) superben
	dative	einem superben	einer superben	einem superben	(keinen) superben
	accusative	einen superben	eine superbe	ein superbes	(keine) superben

Further reading

• “superb” in Duden online
• “superb”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French superbe, from Latin superbus.

Adjective

superb m or n (feminine singular superbă, masculine plural superbi, feminine/neuter plural superbe)

1. superb

Declension

Declension of superb

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	superb		superbă	superbi	superbe
	definite	superbul		superba	superbii	superbele
genitive- dative	indefinite	superb		superbe	superbi	superbe
	definite	superbului		superbei	superbilor	superbelor