superlative
8
4.6
- adjective
- /səˈpɜr.lə.tɪv/
:
sobresaliente
- The restaurant earned a superlative reputation for its exquisite cuisine and exceptional service.
- superlative goodness
Why is he's so superlative in this respect?
- Why is he's so superlative in this respect?
Examples
-
Her superlative skills in painting set her apart from all the other artists.
-
A superlative recent example of such a glance appears in Mat Johnson's 2011 novel Pym.
Academic text (2016) -
- I have superlative taste.
-
You could always win her over with a really superlative performance, but those were not often forthcoming on those May nights.
Academic text (1996) -
It's a superlative performance under simulated pressure.
-
But the rumor is that you are a superlative skater.
-
Where Taiwan's performance is superlative is in the stability of its rapid growth.
Academic text (1991) -
You perform your duties with superlative efficiency and ease... ...suggestive of someone expending approximately one-tenth... ...of her available brain power.
-
Rhea's clothing was, she knew, the result of superlative tailoring and, on his part, demanding perfectionism.
Fiction book (1991) -
Everyone agreed that his latest book was a superlative work of fiction that surpassed his previous novels.
Synonyms
∞
3.5
Very, showing strong feeling or excellent quality
807
3.8
Of the best quality and most important
737
3.9
Highest in rank, quality, or importance
276
1.5
Among the top people or things in a group
257
3.4
Much better than most others in skill or quality
203
4.2
Better in quality or performance than similar things
111
3.5
Of very high quality and extremely good
70
1.0
Better than all others in quality or importance
61
4.5
Most important or best in a group of similar things
49
3.8
Very high quality or done very well
17
8.0
The most respected and well known in a particular field
14
4.4
Very high quality and among the best
9
3.8
Very high quality and lasts a long time
9
6.2
Of very high quality and among the best in its field
8
3.7
Very good quality and better than most others
4
7.9
Very good and impressive
4
5.7
Very good, showing high quality or strong character
3
3.7
Of the highest quality, better than others like it
2
5.2
The best example of its kind
1
7.7
So good that no one can do better
1
1.0
The greatest effort a person can make
Very good and the best in quality
Far better than what is usual or expected
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
An adjective that shows the highest degree of a quality when comparing three or more things
- Specialized
The form of a describing word that shows the most of a quality, like smartest or most beautiful
How Excellent
Surface Forms
Morphology
superlative = super (transparent) = super + lative
The adjectival meaning 'of the highest quality or degree' is directly inferable from 'super-' plus the adjectival form, so learners can access the sense from the base.
Etymology
To call something superlative is to say it is 'above' all others, and the word shares the super- 'above' root with superior, which is why it means surpassing in quality.