super

See also: Super, súper, súpeř, süper, super-, and supèr-

English

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)/
- Audio (UK): (file)
(General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.pɚ/, [ˈsʉu̯.pɚ]
- Audio (Canada): (file)
(General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈsʉː.pə(ɹ)/, [ˈsïɯ.pə(ɹ)]
- Audio (General Australian): (file)
Homophone: souper (one pronunciation)
Hyphenation: su‧per
Rhymes: -uːpə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From super- (prefix), from Middle English super-, from Latin super-, from super (“above”). Doublet of over and hyper.

Adjective

super (not comparable)

Of excellent quality, superfine.
better than average, better than usual; wonderful.

Synonyms

(better): awesome, excellent

Derived terms

Related terms

super-

Translations

better than usual

Bulgarian: су́пер (súper)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 優秀 / 优秀 (zh) (yōuxiù), 出色 (zh) (chūsè)
Danish: super (da)
Dutch: super (nl)
French: super (fr)
Galician: súper
German: super (de)
Greek: υπέρ (el) (ypér)
Hebrew: סופר (he)
Icelandic: frábær (is), súper
Indonesian: amat (id)
Italian: super (it), sopra (it)
Japanese: 超 (ja) (ちょう, chō), すばらしい (ja) (subarashii)
Latin: super (la), supra (la)
Malayalam: മികച്ച (ml) (mikacca), തകർപ്പൻ (ml) (takaṟppaṉ)
Norwegian: super (no)
Polish: super (pl)
Portuguese: súper (pt)
Russian: превосхо́дный (ru) (prevosxódnyj), кла́ссный (ru) (klássnyj), потря́сный (ru) (potrjásnyj)
Serbo-Croatian: super (sh)
Spanish: súper (es)
Swedish: super (sv)
Turkish: süper (tr)
Vietnamese: siêu (vi)

Adverb

super (not comparable)

(informal) Very; extremely (used like the prefix super-).
The party was super awesome.
- 1992 March 14, The Canberra Times, page 9, column 2:
  The job is super interesting for a person who enjoys a hardware environment and communicating with people.
- 2022 November 18, Ryan Mac, Mike Isaac, Kellen Browning, quoting Elon Musk, “Elon Musk’s Twitter Teeters on the Edge After Another 1,200 Leave”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:
  “The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried,” he tweeted.

Etymology 2

Abbreviation by shortening.

Noun

super (plural supers)

(Australia, New Zealand, informal) Short for superannuation.
Jane looked forward to collecting a large super payout when she retired.
Short for supercomputer.
- 1989, Kai Hwang, Doug DeGroot, Parallel processing for supercomputers and artificial intelligence:
  The performances and cost ranges of three classes of commercial supercomputers are given in Table 2.1. The full-scale supers are the most expensive class, represented by Cray, ETA, and Fujitsu systems, for example.
(comics, slang) Short for superhero.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:super.
(beekeeping) Short for superhive.
- 1983, Sue Hubbell, A Country Year: Living the Questions, Boston, MA: Mariner Books, published 1999, →ISBN, page 69:
  There may be thirty to fifty supers in every outyard, and we have only about half an hour to get them off the hives, stacked and covered before the bees get really cross about what we are doing.
(informal, US) Short for superintendent, especially, a building's resident manager (sometimes clarified as “building super”).
(neologism) Short for supernaturalist, especially as distinguished from bright.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:super.
Short for supernumerary; (theater) specifically, a supernumerary actor.
- 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Affair at the Novelty Theatre”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
  For this scene, a large number of supers are engaged, and in order to further swell the crowd, practically all the available stage hands have to ‘walk on’ dressed in various coloured dominoes, and all wearing masks.
- 1916, Ring W. Lardner, “Three Kings and a Pair”, in The Saturday Evening Post‎^[2]:
  The piece was gave by a bunch o’ supers the time I went. I’d like to see it with a real cast. They say it’s a whiz when it’s acted right.
Short for supertanker.
- 1973, Jeffrey Potter, Disaster by Oil, page 46:
  That is a lot of ship, about the size of big tankers before they grew so rapidly to become supers, mammoths and oilbergs.
Short for supervisor.
(television) A superimposed caption or image.
- 2009, James Robert Parish, Jim Henson, page 114:
  Supers are superimposed words that run across the TV screen and provide information such as the names of interview subjects. The newsroom sends a printed list of these supers to Perry.

Verb

super (third-person singular simple present supers, present participle supering, simple past and past participle supered)

(beekeeping) Short for superhive.
- 1917 Dadant, C. P., First Lessons in Beekeeping; revised & rewritten edition, 1968, by M. G. Dadant and J. C. Dadant, p 73:
  The question is: when is the best time to super?
(television) Short for superimpose.
- 1987, Television Quarterly, volumes 23-24:
  Even running a supered "Re-enactment" caption for a few seconds is poor policy, he feels […]

Anagrams

sprue, Rupes, Pre-Us, re-ups, pures, Prues, Purse, purse, reups, rupes, puers

Chinese

Etymology 1

From English super. Popularized by Eric Tsang in the Super Trio series.

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): sup¹ paa⁴

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sup¹ paa⁴
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sup⁷ paa⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /suːp̚⁵ pʰaː²¹/

Interjection

super

(Hong Kong Cantonese) Used when a tied or draw situation occurs, or when one is suggesting a draw.

Etymology 2

Clipping of English supervisor.

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): sup¹ paa²

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sup¹ paa²
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sup⁷ paa²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /suːp̚⁵ pʰaː³⁵/

Noun

super

(Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang) supervisor (of a student)
(Hong Kong Cantonese) supervisor; manager

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from English super, French super, from Latin super.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈsupɛr]

Adjective

super (indeclinable)

(informal) super, great
Synonym: supr

Můj brácha si koupil super auto, to musíš vidět!

Ten výlet byl prostě super!

Usage notes

This word is slightly more formal than supr, yet still informal.

Interjection

super

(informal) super
Synonym: supr

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed via English super from Latin super (“over”)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈsuˀb̥ɐ]

Adjective

super (neuter super or supert, plural super or (unofficial) supre)

(informal) terrific

Adverb

super

(informal) very

Synonyms

herre
mega

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English super, ultimately from Latin super.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsy.pər/
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: su‧per

Adverb

super

(informal) very, extremely, super
De kunststofuitvoering is wel super duur.
The plastic version is super expensive.

Derived terms

Adjective

super (not comparable)

great, super
Die nieuwe karts zijn super.
Those new karts are great.

Declension

Declension of super
uninflected	super
inflected	super
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		super
indefinite	m./f. sing.	super
	n. sing.	super
	plural	super
definite		super
partitive		supers

Related terms

hyper
over

Esperanto

Etymology

From Latin super.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈsuper]
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -uper
Hyphenation: su‧per

Preposition

super

above

Antonyms

sub

French

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin super. Doublet of the inherited sur. See also hyper, borrowed from Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sy.pɛʁ/

Adjective

super (invariable)

superb, great

Derived terms

Descendants

→ Turkish: süper

Adverb

super

(informal) extremely, very (as an intensifier)
Il est super beau
he's very handsome

Synonyms

Interjection

super

great, fantastic

Related terms

super-

Etymology 2

Probably a borrowing from a Germanic language, from *sūpaną (“to sip, sup”). If so then doublet of souper.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sy.pe/

Verb

super

(regional) to suck, to sip

Conjugation

Conjugation of super (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	compound	avoir + past participle
infinitive	simple	super
present participle or gerund¹	simple	supant /sy.pɑ̃/
present participle or gerund¹	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		supé /sy.pe/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	supe /syp/	supes /syp/	supe /syp/	supons /sy.pɔ̃/	supez /sy.pe/	supent /syp/
	imperfect	supais /sy.pɛ/	supais /sy.pɛ/	supait /sy.pɛ/	supions /sy.pjɔ̃/	supiez /sy.pje/	supaient /sy.pɛ/
	past historic²	supai /sy.pe/	supas /sy.pa/	supa /sy.pa/	supâmes /sy.pam/	supâtes /sy.pat/	supèrent /sy.pɛʁ/
	future	superai /sy.pʁe/	superas /sy.pʁa/	supera /sy.pʁa/	superons /sy.pʁɔ̃/	superez /sy.pʁe/	superont /sy.pʁɔ̃/
	conditional	superais /sy.pʁɛ/	superais /sy.pʁɛ/	superait /sy.pʁɛ/	superions /sy.pə.ʁjɔ̃/	superiez /sy.pə.ʁje/	superaient /sy.pʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior²	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	supe /syp/	supes /syp/	supe /syp/	supions /sy.pjɔ̃/	supiez /sy.pje/	supent /syp/
(simple tenses)	imperfect²	supasse /sy.pas/	supasses /sy.pas/	supât /sy.pa/	supassions /sy.pa.sjɔ̃/	supassiez /sy.pa.sje/	supassent /sy.pas/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
(compound tenses)	pluperfect²	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	~~nous~~	~~vous~~	–
simple		—	supe /syp/	—	supons /sy.pɔ̃/	supez /sy.pe/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
¹ The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
² In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Anagrams

peurs, pures, repus, rupes

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin super; modern usage influenced by English super.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈzuːpɐ/ (prescriptive standard)
IPA^(key): /ˈsu(ː)pɐ/ (Austria)
Audio: (file)

Adjective

super (strong nominative masculine singular superer, not comparable)

(colloquial) super, great, awesome
Synonyms: klasse, spitze

Usage notes

In the standard language, super is indeclinable; it is only rarely declined in colloquial usage.

Declension

Positive forms of super (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
predicative		er ist super	sie ist super	es ist super	sie sind super
strong declension (without article)	nominative	superer	supere	superes	supere
	genitive	superen	superer	superen	superer
	dative	superem	superer	superem	superen
	accusative	superen	supere	superes	supere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der supere	die supere	das supere	die superen
	genitive	des superen	der superen	des superen	der superen
	dative	dem superen	der superen	dem superen	den superen
	accusative	den superen	die supere	das supere	die superen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein superer	eine supere	ein superes	(keine) superen
	genitive	eines superen	einer superen	eines superen	(keiner) superen
	dative	einem superen	einer superen	einem superen	(keinen) superen
	accusative	einen superen	eine supere	ein superes	(keine) superen

Derived terms

supi

Interlingua

Preposition

super

about (focused on a given topic)

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin super. Cf. sopra.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsu.per/
Rhymes: -uper
Hyphenation: sù‧per

Adjective

super (invariable)

super

Noun

super m (invariable)

the best
superphosphate

Noun

super f (invariable)

the best grade of petrol

Anagrams

pruse, ruspe, sprue

Latin

FWOTD – 16 August 2013

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *super, from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“over, above”). Cognate to Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér, “above”).

The accusative is from the pre-PIE directional. The ablative is from the ablative of cause.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.per/, [ˈs̠ʊpɛr]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.per/, [ˈsuːper]

Preposition

super (+ accusative, ablative)

(with accusative or ablative) [of place] above, on the top of, upon
Cibus super mēnsam est.
The food is on the table.
(with accusative) [of place] above, beyond
- 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Genesis.1.2:
  terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas
  And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.
(with accusative) [of measure] above, beyond, over, in addition to
(with ablative) concerning, regarding

Usage notes

Used in many compound words, see super-.

Adverb

super (not comparable)

above, on top, over
upwards
moreover, in addition, besides, on top of this, too, also
- 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 1.29:
  Hīs accēnsa super [...]
  [Juno] having been inflamed by these [things] in addition [...]
  Or, translated more plainly:
  With all of this angering her [...]
  (See: Juno (mythology).)

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:super.

Antonyms

sub

Derived terms

Descendants

Asturian: sobre
Catalan: sobre, → súper
→ Czech: super, supr
→ English: super
- → Polish: super
→ French: super
- → Romanian: super
Galician: sobre
→ German: super
→ Hungarian: szuper
Italian: sopra, super
Romanian: spre
Occitan: subre
Old French: seur
- Middle French: sur
  - French: sur
Portuguese: sobre, super, súper
Sardinian: subre
Spanish: sobre, super
→ Russian: супер (super)

References

“super”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“super”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
super in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
- the river is over its banks, is in flood: flumen super ripas effunditur
super in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[4], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English super.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsu.pɛr/
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -upɛr
Syllabification: su‧per
Homophone: super-

Adjective

super (not comparable, indeclinable, no derived adverb)

(colloquial) great, excellent
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dobry

Adverb

super (not comparable)

(colloquial) excellently

Portuguese

Alternative forms

súper (prescriptive)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin super; cf. also English super. Doublet of the inherited sobre.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.peʁ/ [ˈsu.peh]
- (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.peɾ/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.peʁ/ [ˈsu.peχ]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.peɻ/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈsu.pɛɾ/

Hyphenation: su‧per

Adverb

super (not comparable)

(informal) super, very (intensifier)
Synonyms: muito, bastante, bué, mega

super fixe
very nice

Adjective

super (invariable)

super

Related terms

super-

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French super. Doublet of spre.

Adjective

super m or f or n (indeclinable)

superb, great

Declension

		masculine	feminine	masculine	neuter
invariable		singular		plural
nominative- accusative	indefinite	super	super	super	super
nominative- accusative	definite	—	—	—	—
genitive- dative	indefinite	super	super	super	super
genitive- dative	definite	—	—	—	—

Adverb

super

superbly

Sardinian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin super.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /super/

Preposition

super

on, on top of, above
Synonym: supra

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin super; cf. also English super. Doublet of the inherited sobre.

Adjective

super (invariable)

(intensifier) very, mega

Swedish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /²sʉːpɛr/

Verb

super

present indicative of supa

Adjective

super (not comparable)

perfect, super, excellent, great
det blir super! ― that's going to be great!

Declension

Only used predicatively.

super

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Adverb

Etymology 2

Noun

Verb

Anagrams

Chinese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Interjection

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Czech

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Usage notes

See also

Interjection

Further reading

Danish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Adverb

Synonyms

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adverb

Derived terms

Adjective

Declension

Related terms

Esperanto

Etymology

Pronunciation

Preposition

Antonyms

French

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Descendants

Adverb

Synonyms

Interjection

Related terms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

Further reading

Anagrams

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Usage notes

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

Interlingua

Preposition

Italian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Noun

Noun