superlative

See also: Superlative

English

WOTD – 11 March 2008

Etymology

From Middle English superlatyf, from Old French superlatif, from Late Latin superlātīvus, from Latin superlātus (“extravagant, of hyperbole”), past participle of superfero (“carry over”), from super (“above”) + fero (“bear, carry”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/, /sjuːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /suˈpɝː.lə.tɪv/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Audio (UK)

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Noun

superlative (plural superlatives)

1. The highest extent or degree of something.

   Synonyms: acme, apex, height, zenith

   • 1966, Sidney John Baker, The Australian language:

     A twist is accordingly something especially good, and a big twist is the superlative of excellence.

2. (grammar) The form of an adjective that expresses which of several items has the highest degree of the quality expressed by the adjective; in English, formed by appending "-est" to the end of the adjective (for some short adjectives only) or putting "most" before it.

   The superlative of "big" is "biggest".

3. (informal) An adjective used to praise something exceptional.

   Daniel is amazing, wonderful, fantastic, and many other superlatives I can’t think of right now!

   • 2019, Daniel Taylor, Lionel Messi magic puts Barcelona in command of semi-final with Liverpool (in The Guardian, 1 May 2019)[1]

     Sometimes it feels like there are no more superlatives left. Seriously, what else can be said about this little guy with the No 10 shirt and magic in his feet other than to ask, perhaps, whether there is anyone who wants to persist with the argument that Pelé, or Diego Maradona, or any of the others, have ever played this sport any better?

Synonyms

• (highest degree): acme, peak

Hyponyms

• absolute superlative
• relative superlative

Related terms

• superlative degree

Translations

highest degree of something

• Armenian: գերադրական (hy) (geradrakan)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最高級 (zh) (Zuì gāojí)

• Czech: superlativ (cs)
• Faroese: hástig n
• Finnish: huippu (fi)
• French: summum (fr) m
• German: Superlativ (de) m, Höchststufe (de) f, Meiststufe (de)
• Hebrew: מופלג‎

• Italian: superlativo (it)
• Norwegian: superlativ (no)
• Polish: superlatyw m inan
• Portuguese: superlativo (pt)
• Russian: вы́сшая то́чка f (výsšaja tóčka), кульмина́ция (ru) f (kulʹminácija), верши́на (ru) f (veršína)
• Slovene: presežek m
• Spanish: superlativo (es)

form of adjective expressing "most"

• Afrikaans: superlatief (af)
• Arabic: دَرَجَة فَائِقَة‎ f (daraja fāʾiqa)
• Armenian: գերադրական (hy) (geradrakan)
• Belarusian: найвышэ́йшая ступе́нь f (najvyšéjšaja stupjénʹ)
• Breton: derez-uhelañ (br) m
• Bulgarian: превъзхо́дна сте́пен f (prevǎzhódna stépen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最高級 (zh), 最高级 (zh) (zuìgāojí)

• Czech: superlativ (cs) m
• Danish: superlativ (da)
• Dutch: superlatief (nl) m
• Finnish: superlatiivi (fi), yliaste (fi)
• French: superlatif (fr) m
• German: Superlativ (de) m
• Greek: (degree) υπερθετικός (el) m (yperthetikós); υπερθετικό (el) n (yperthetikó)

  Ancient: ὑπερθετικός m (huperthetikós)

• Hungarian: felsőfok (hu)
• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Japanese: 最上級 (ja) (さいじょうきゅう, saijōkyū)
• Korean: 최상급 (ko) (choesanggeup) (最上級 (ko))
• Lithuanian: aukščiausiasis laipsnis (lt) m, aukščiausiasis (lt) m

• Macedonian: суперлатив m (superlativ)
• Norman: supèrlatif m
• Norwegian: superlativ (no) m
• Novial: superlative
• Old English: oferstīgendlīċ
• Persian: صفت برترین‎ (fa) (sefat-e bartarin)
• Polish: stopień najwyższy (pl) m inan, superlatyw m
• Portuguese: superlativo (pt) m
• Romanian: superlativ (ro) m or n
• Russian: превосхо́дная сте́пень (ru) f (prevosxódnaja stépenʹ), суперляти́в (ru) m (superljatív)
• Scottish Gaelic: feabhasach m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: су̏перлатӣв m

  Roman: sȕperlatīv (sh) m

• Slovak: superlativ m, tretí stupeň
• Slovene: presežnik m, superlativ m
• Spanish: superlativo (es) m
• Swedish: superlativ (sv) n
• Tagalog: pasukdol
• Thai: ชั้นเยี่ยม
• Ukrainian: найви́щий сту́пінь (uk) m (najvýščyj stúpinʹ)

adjective used to praise

• Dutch: overtreffende trap (nl)
• Finnish: superlatiivi (fi)

• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Norwegian: superlativ (no) n
• Slovak: superlatív

Adjective

superlative (not comparable)

1. Exceptionally good; of the highest quality; superb.
2. (grammar) Of or relating to a superlative.

Usage notes

Rather formal, reflecting its Latin etymology; more colloquial alternatives include exceptional, fabulous, above and beyond, and others.

Synonyms

• (exceptionally good): above and beyond, exceptional, extraordinary, superb

Translations

exceptionally good

• Armenian: գերադրական (hy) (geradrakan)
• Belarusian: найвышэ́йшы (najvyšéjšy)
• Bulgarian: превъзхо́ден (bg) (prevǎzhóden)
• Catalan: superlatiu (ca)
• Finnish: erinomainen (fi), häikäisevä (fi)
• French: suprême (fr)
• German: höchst (de), hervorragend (de)
• Hindi: सर्वोत्कृष्ट (sarvotkŕṣṭ)

• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Novial: superlativi
• Polish: doskonały (pl), znakomity (pl)
• Portuguese: supremo (pt), superlativo (pt)
• Romanian: suprem (ro), superlativ (ro)
• Russian: высоча́йший (ru) (vysočájšij), велича́йший (ru) (veličájšij), превосхо́дный (ru) (prevosxódnyj), наивы́сший (ru) (naivýsšij), вы́сший (ru) (výsšij)
• Slovak: superlatívny
• Spanish: supremo (es)
• Ukrainian: найви́щий (uk) (najvýščyj)

of or pertaining to a superlative

• Armenian: գերադրական (hy) (geradrakan)
• Catalan: superlatiu (ca)
• Dutch: overtreffende trap (nl)
• Finnish: superlatiivinen
• French: superlatif (fr) m

• Greek: υπερθετικός (el) (yperthetikós)
• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Old English: oferstīgendlīċ
• Romanian: superlativ (ro)
• Scottish Gaelic: feabhasach
• Slovak: superlatívny
• Tagalog: pasukdol (grammar)

See also

• absolute
• comparative
• elative

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French

Adjective

superlative

1. feminine singular of superlatif

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Italian

Adjective

superlative

1. feminine plural of superlativo

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Latin

Adjective

superlātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of superlātīvus