Meanings
- figurativelynot comparableExceptionally good; of the highest quality.
The Governor-General was entertaining at a civil banquet in the evening. He is reported as having made a “superlative speech, congratulating the Victorians on their loyalty; […].”
1894, Alexander Begg, History of British Columbia, page 509Synonyms: above and beyond, exceptional, fabulous, extraordinary, superb
- not comparablegrammarOf or relating to the superlative degree (a degree of comparison of adjectives and adverbs).
plural superlatives
- grammarThe degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb used when comparing three or more entities in terms of a certain property or a certain way of doing something. In English, the superlative of superiority is formed by adding the suffix -est or the word most (e.g. tiniest, most fully); the superlative of inferiority, by adding the word least (e.g. least big, least fully).
Synonyms: superlative degree
- grammarAn adjective or adverb in the superlative degree.
Daniel is amazing, wonderful, fantastic, and many other superlatives I can’t think of right now!
1 more example
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?
2019 May 1, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveExceptionally good; of the highest quality.
nounThe extreme (e.g. highest, lowest, deepest, farthest, etc) extent or degree of something.
nounThe degree of comparison of an adjective or adverb used when comparing three or more entities in terms of a certain property or a certain way of doing something. In English, the superlative of superiority is formed by adding the suffix -est or the word most (e.g. tiniest, most fully); the superlative of inferiority, by adding the word least (e.g. least big, least fully).
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinsuperlātus“carried above, over; extravagant, of hyperbole”
- Late Latinsuperlātīvus
- Old Frenchsuperlatif
- Middle Englishsuperlatyf
- Englishsuperlative
From Middle English superlatyf, from Old French superlatif, from Late Latin superlātīvus, from Latin superlātus (“carried above, over; extravagant, of hyperbole”), past participle of superfero (“carry over”), from super (“above”) + fero (“bear, carry”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans superlatief
- superlatiefdegree of comparison
Ancient Greek ὑπερθετικός, ὑπερθετικόν
- ὑπερθετικός (huperthetikós)of or pertaining to the superlative degree
- ὑπερθετικόν (huperthetikón)degree of comparison
Arabic دَرَجَة فَائِقَة
- دَرَجَة فَائِقَة (daraja fāʔiqa)degree of comparison
Bulgarian превъзхо́ден, превъзходен
- превъзхо́ден (prevăzhóden)exceptionally good
- превъзходен (prevăzhoden)of or pertaining to the superlative degree
- кулминация (kulminacija)highest degree of something
- връх (vrăh)highest degree of something
- превъзхо́дна сте́пен (prevăzhódna stépen)degree of comparison
- суперлатив (superlativ)adjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Catalan superlatiu, superlatiu
- superlatiuexceptionally good
- superlatiuof or pertaining to the superlative degree
Chinese Mandarin 最高級 /最高级, 最高級 /最高级
- 最高級 /最高级 (Zuì gāojí)highest degree of something
- 最高級 /最高级 (zuìgāojí)degree of comparison
Czech superlativ, superlativ
- superlativhighest degree of something
- superlativdegree of comparison
Danish superlativ
- superlativdegree of comparison
Dutch overtreffende trap, superlatief
- overtreffende trapof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlatiefdegree of comparison
- overtreffende trapdegree of comparison
- overtreffende trapadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Estonian ülivõrre, ülim
- ülivõrredegree of comparison
- ülimadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
- üli-adjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Finnish erinomainen, häikäisevä
- erinomainenexceptionally good
- häikäiseväexceptionally good
- superlatiivinenof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- huippuhighest degree of something
- superlatiividegree of comparison
- yliastedegree of comparison
- superlatiiviadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
French superlatif, suprême
- superlatifhaving the power to carry something or someone above, over or beyond others
- suprêmeexceptionally good
- superlatifof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- summumhighest degree of something
- superlatifdegree of comparison
- superlatifadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
German höchst, hervorragend
- höchstexceptionally good
- hervorragendexceptionally good
- superlativexceptionally good
- superlativischof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- Superlativhighest degree of something
- Höchststufehighest degree of something
- Meiststufehighest degree of something
- Superlativdegree of comparison
- Höchststufeadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
- Meiststufeadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
- Superlativadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Greek υπερθετικός, υπερθετικός
- υπερθετικός (yperthetikós)of or pertaining to the superlative degree
- υπερθετικός (yperthetikós)degree of comparison
- υπερθετικό (yperthetikó)degree of comparison
Hebrew מופלג
- מופלגhighest degree of something
Hindi सर्वोत्कृष्ट
- सर्वोत्कृष्ट (sarvotkŕṣṭ)exceptionally good
Hungarian felsőfokú, felsőfok
- felsőfokúof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- felsőfokdegree of comparison
Icelandic efsta stig
- efsta stigof or pertaining to the superlative degree
Irish sárchéim
- sárchéimdegree of comparison
Italian superlativo, superlativo
- superlativoexceptionally good
- superlativoof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlativohighest degree of something
- superlativodegree of comparison
- superlativoadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Japanese 最上級
- 最上級 (saijōkyū)degree of comparison
Korean 최상급
- 최상급 (choesanggeup)degree of comparison
Lithuanian aukščiausiasis laipsnis, aukščiausiasis
- aukščiausiasis laipsnisdegree of comparison
- aukščiausiasisdegree of comparison
Malay kepalingan, superlatif
- kepalinganof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlatifof or pertaining to the superlative degree
Norwegian Bokmål eksepsjonell, suveren
- eksepsjonellexceptionally good
- suverenexceptionally good
- superlativiskof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlativhighest degree of something
- superlativdegree of comparison
- superlativadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Persian صفت برترین
- صفت برترین (sefat-e bartarin)degree of comparison
Polish doskonały, znakomity
- doskonałyexceptionally good
- znakomityexceptionally good
- superlatywhighest degree of something
- stopień najwyższydegree of comparison
- superlatywdegree of comparison
- stopień najwyższyadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
- superlatywadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Portuguese supremo, superlativo
- supremoexceptionally good
- superlativoexceptionally good
- superlativoof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlativohighest degree of something
- superlativodegree of comparison
Romanian suprem, superlativ
- supremexceptionally good
- superlativexceptionally good
- superlativof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlativdegree of comparison
Russian высоча́йший, велича́йший
- высоча́йший (vysočájšij)exceptionally good
- велича́йший (veličájšij)exceptionally good
- превосхо́дный (prevosxódnyj)exceptionally good
- наивы́сший (naivýsšij)exceptionally good
- вы́сший (výsšij)exceptionally good
- превосходный (prevosxodnyj)of or pertaining to the superlative degree
- вы́сшая то́чка (výsšaja tóčka)highest degree of something
- кульмина́ция (kulʹminácija)highest degree of something
- верши́на (veršína)highest degree of something
- превосхо́дная сте́пень (prevosxódnaja stépenʹ)degree of comparison
- суперляти́в (superljatív)degree of comparison
- превосхо́дная сте́пень (prevosxódnaja stépenʹ)adjective or adverb in the superlative degree
- суперляти́в (superljatív)adjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Scottish Gaelic feabhasach, feabhasach
- feabhasachof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- feabhasachdegree of comparison
Slovak superlatívny, superlatívny
- superlatívnyexceptionally good
- superlatívnyof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlativdegree of comparison
- tretí stupeňdegree of comparison
- superlatívadjective or adverb in the superlative degree
Spanish supremo, superlativo
- supremoexceptionally good
- superlativoof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- superlativohighest degree of something
- superlativodegree of comparison
Swedish superlativ
- superlativdegree of comparison
Tagalog pasukdol, pasukdol
- pasukdolof or pertaining to the superlative degree
- pasukdoldegree of comparison
Thai ชั้นเยี่ยม
- ชั้นเยี่ยมdegree of comparison
Ukrainian найви́щий, найви́щий сту́пінь
- найви́щий (najvýščyj)exceptionally good
- найви́щий сту́пінь (najvýščyj stúpinʹ)degree of comparison
Cite this entry
superlative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superlative
“superlative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superlative. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “superlative,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superlative.
Source: superlative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.