superlative

§English

WOTD – 11 March 2008

Wikipedia

§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)

  (file)

§Noun

superlative (plural superlatives)

1. The highest extent or degree of something.
2. (grammar) The form of an adjective that expresses which of more than two 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!

§Synonyms

• (highest degree): acme, peak

§Related terms

• superlative degree

§Translations

highest degree of something

• Afrikaans: superlatief (af)
• Arabic: صيغة التفضيل
• Czech: superlativ (cs)
• Finnish: huippu (fi)
• German: Superlativ (de) m
• Hebrew: מופלג
• Hindi: सर्वोत्कृष्ट m (sarvotkŕṣṭ)
• Italian: superlativo
• Japanese: 最上級 (ja) (さいじょうきゅう, saijōkyū)
• Korean: 최고의 (choegoui)
• Macedonian: суперлатив (superlativ)

• Mandarin: 最高级 (zh)
• Norwegian: superlativ (no)
• Polish: superlatyw m
• Portuguese: superlativo (pt)
• Russian: высоча́йший (ru) (vysočájšij), превосхо́дный (ru) (prevosxódnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: sȕperlatīv m
• Slovene: presežek m
• Spanish: superlativo (es)
• Thai: ชั้นเยี่ยม

form of adjective expressing "most"

• Arabic: درجة فائقة f (daraja faa'iqa)
• Armenian: գերադրական (geradrakan)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最高級, 最高级 (zh) (zuìgāojí)

• Czech: superlativ (cs) m
• Danish: superlativ (da)
• Dutch: overtreffende trap (nl) m, superlatief (nl) m
• Finnish: superlatiivi (fi), yliaste
• French: superlatif (fr) m
• German: Superlativ (de) m
• Greek: υπερθετικό (el) n (yperthetikó)
• Hungarian: felsőfok (hu)
• Icelandic: efsta stig (is) n
• Italian: superlativo m
• Japanese: 最上級 (ja) (さいじょうきゅう, saijōkyū)

• Jèrriais: supèrlatif m
• Korean: 최상급 (ko) (choi-sang-geup,最上級)
• Latin: superlativus m
• Norwegian: superlativ (no) m
• Novial: superlative
• Old English: oferstígendlic
• Persian: صفت برترین (sefat-e bartarin)
• Polish: stopień najwyższy (pl) m
• Portuguese: superlativo (pt) m
• Russian: превосхо́дная сте́пень (ru) f (prevosxódnaja stépenʹ), супе́рлятив m (supérljativ)
• Scottish Gaelic: feabhasach m
• Serbo-Croatian: sȕperlatīv m
• Slovene: presežnik m, superlativ m
• Spanish: superlativo (es) m
• Swedish: superlativ (sv) n

adjective used to praise

• Finnish: superlatiivi (fi)
• Italian: superlativo m

• Norwegian: superlativ (no) n
• Serbo-Croatian: sȕperlatīv m

§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

• Catalan: superlatiu
• Finnish: erinomainen (fi), häikäisevä (fi)
• French: suprême (fr)
• German: höchst (de), hervorragend (de)
• Italian: superlativo m
• Novial: superlativi

• Polish: doskonały (pl) m, znakomity (pl) m
• Portuguese: supremo (pt)
• Romanian: suprem (ro), superlativ (ro)
• Russian: высочайший (ru) (vysočájšij), величайший (ru) (veličájšij)
• Spanish: supremo (es)

of or pertaining to a superlative

• Catalan: superlatiu
• Finnish: superlatiivinen
• French: superlatif (fr) m
• Greek: υπερθετικός (el) (yperthetikós)

• Italian: superlativo m
• Romanian: superlativ (ro)
• Scottish Gaelic: feabhasach

§See also

• absolute
• comparative
• elative

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§French

§Adjective

superlative

1. feminine form of superlatif

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§Italian

§Adjective

superlative

1. feminine plural of superlativo