go supernova

present singular third person goes supernova · participle present went supernova · participle past gone supernova · past gone supernova

1. intransitiveastronomyOf a star: to explode in a supernova.

   The star might go supernova soon.

   2 more examples

   Supernovas are clearly incredible objects of astoundingly explosive character. Were it possible for our Sun to go supernova, it would vaporize every planet in the solar system by the time it had reached peak brilliance. Were it possible for Alpha Centauri, which is only 1.3 parsecs away, to go supernova, it would blaze in our day and night sky with a brightness that, at maximum, would be 15,500 times that of the full Moon, or about one-thirtieth that of the Sun.

   1985, Isaac Asimov, “Bigger Explosions”, in The Exploding Suns: The Secrets of the Supernovas (Truman Talley Books), New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton, →ISBN, page 97

   Dumpster clocking: The tendency when looking at objects to guesstimate the amount of time they will take to decompose: "Ski boots are the worst. Solid plastic. They'll be around till the sun goes supernova."

   1991, Douglas Coupland, “Plastics Never Disintegrate”, in Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 162

2. figurativelyintransitiveTo become very popular or successful.

   A faculty member at my college had been impressed and invited this up-and-coming young feminist to speak in the common room of one of our dorms, months before her book would go supernova in North America.

   2023, Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Penguin, →ISBN, page 344

   1 more example

   Butter yellow (yes, the pastel between canary and beige) has been on the rise for the past few years, and we've seen it splashed across enough recent runways and style influencers to finally make a call: The soft, silky shade is about to go supernova.

   2024 February 22, Jake Henry Smith, “Butter Yellow will be Everywhere this Year—Here’s How to Style It”, in Glamour, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 May 2026

   Synonyms: blow up, catch fire, take off