supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1940s, it was made famous by its use in a song of the same title in the movie Mary Poppins (1964), by songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌsuːpəˌkælɨˌfɹædʒɨˌlɪstɪkˌɛkspɪˌælɨˈdəʊʃəs/
• enPR: so͞o'pər-kăl'ĭ-fră'jĭ-lĭs'tĭk-ĕk'spē-ăl'ĭ-dōʹshəs, IPA^(key): /ˌsupɚˌkælɪ̈ˌfɹædʒɪ̈ˌlɪstɪkˌɛkspiˌælɪ̈ˈdoʊʃəs/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊʃəs
• Hyphenation: su‧per‧cal‧i‧frag‧i‧lis‧tic‧ex‧pi‧a‧li‧do‧cious

Adjective

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (not comparable)

1. (humorous) Fantastic, very wonderful
   • 2010 March 15, Rose Madeline Mula, The Beautiful People and Other Aggravations, Gretna: Pelican Publishing, →ISBN, →OL, page 91:

     By comparison with the present transcribers, I'm sure my performance would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

   • 2011, Mary B. Allberry, I Ain't Done Yet, Victoria: FriesenPress, →ISBN, →OL, page 91:

     This is a real biggie so pay attention—I still pinch myself occasionally to even believe I did this; it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Alternative forms

• supercalifragilistic (shortening)

Usage notes

Often cited as an example of a very long word.

Derived terms

• supercalifragilisticexpialidociously
• supercalifragilisticexpialidociousness

Translations

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

• German: supercalifragilisticexpialigetisch, superkalifragilistisch expiallegorisch
• Italian: supercalifragilistichespiralidoso
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: supercalifragilisticoexpialidoso (es)

See also

• antidisestablishmentarianism
• floccinaucinihilipilification
• dacryocystorhinostomy
• hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
• pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

References

“supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.