What does "super" mean?
Clipping of superannuation.
Super
/ˈsypɑ/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Clipping of superannuation.
- Grammar: super is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: a cut above, a-one, above, above.
- Useful contrasts: barely, below, disappointing.
- Usage evidence: For example, they do not have to go to a stadium to see the World Series or the Super Bowl because they can enjoy watching the games in their own living rooms.
How to use "super"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "super" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "super" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "super" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "super" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "super" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a cut above" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "super", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Clipping of superannuation. Australia, New-Zealand, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, informal
"Jane looked forward to collecting a large super payout when she retired."
- 2 a caretaker for an apartment house; represents the owner as janitor and rent collector wordnet
- 3 Clipping of supercomputer. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"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."
- 4 Clipping of superhero. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, slang
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:super."
- 5 Clipping of superhive. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"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."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Clipping of superintendent, especially, a building's resident manager (sometimes clarified as “building super”). US, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, informal
- 7 Clipping of supernaturalist, especially as distinguished from bright. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, neologism
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:super."
- 8 Clipping of supernumerary; (theater) specifically, a supernumerary actor. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"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."
- 9 Clipping of supertanker. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"That is a lot of ship, about the size of big tankers before they grew so rapidly to become supers, mammoths and oilbergs."
- 10 Clipping of supervisor. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
- 11 A superimposed caption or image. colloquial
"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
- 1 Clipping of superhive. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"The question is: when is the best time to super?"
- 2 Clipping of superimpose. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial
"Even running a supered "Re-enactment" caption for a few seconds is poor policy, he feels […]"
Adjective
- 1 Of excellent quality, superfine. not-comparable
- 2 Better than average, better than usual; wonderful. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 including more than a specified category wordnet
- 2 extremely large wordnet
- 3 of the highest quality wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Very; extremely (used like the prefix super-). colloquial, not-comparable
"The party was super awesome."
- 2 Absolutely; utterly. colloquial, not-comparable
"I super don't care about that."
Adverb
- 1 to an extreme degree wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 In any of various contexts, a specifically named instance of a super, such as a particular superintendent, supervisor, or super-weapon.
"You better call the Super if you want your repairs done [the specific superintendent in the implicit context of a specific apartment building; parallel with "President" versus "president"]"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"For example, they do not have to go to a stadium to see the World Series or the Super Bowl because they can enjoy watching the games in their own living rooms."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "super"?
Common synonyms include: a cut above, a-one, above, above, ace, administrator.
How do you use "super" in a sentence?
For example, they do not have to go to a stadium to see the World Series or the Super Bowl because they can enjoy watching the games in their own living rooms.
How do you pronounce "super"?
Pronounced /ˈsypɑ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From super- (prefix), from Middle English super-, from Latin super-, from super (“above”). Doublet of over and hyper.
Etymology 2
Abbreviation by shortening.
Etymology 3
Proper name capitalized from ellided forms with super and super-.