superlative

English

WOTD – 11 March 2008    

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English superlatyf, from Old French superlatif, from Late Latin superlātīvus, from Latin superlātus (“extravagant, of hyperbole”), past participle of superfero (“carry over”), from super (“above”) + fero (“bear, carry”).

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/, /sjuːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/, X-SAMPA: /su:"p3:(r).l@.tIv/
• (US) IPA: /suːˈpɝː.lə.tɪv/, /sjuːˈpɝː.lə.tɪv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

superlative (plural superlatives)

1. The highest extent or degree of something.
2. (grammar) The form of an adjective that expresses which of more than two items has the highest degree of the quality expressed by the adjective; in English, formed by appending "-est" to the end of the adjective (for some short adjectives only) or putting "most" before it.

   The superlative of "big" is "biggest"

3. (informal) An adjective used to praise something exceptional.

   Daniel is amazing, wonderful, fantastic, and many other superlatives I can’t think of right now!

Synonyms

• (highest degree): acme, peak

Related terms

• superlative degree

Translations

highest degree of something

• Afrikaans: superlatief (af)
• Arabic: صيغة التفضيل (ar)
• Czech: superlativ (cs)
• Finnish: huippu (fi)
• German: Superlativ (de) m
• Hebrew: מופלג (he)
• Italian: superlativo (it)
• Japanese: 最上級 (ja)
• Korean: 최고의 (ko)
• Macedonian: суперлатив (mk) (superlativ)

• Mandarin: 最高级 (cmn)
• Norwegian: superlativ (no)
• Polish: superlatyw m
• Portuguese: superlativo (pt)
• Russian: высочайший (ru) (vysočájšij), превосходный (ru) (prevosxódnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: sȕperlatīv (sh) m
• Slovene: presežek (sl) m
• Spanish: superlativo (es)
• Thai: ชั้นเยี่ยม (th)

form of adjective expressing "most"

• Arabic: درجة فائقة (ar) (daraja faa'iqa) f
• Armenian: գերադրական (hy) (geradrakan)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 最高級 (cmn), 最高级 (cmn) (zuìgāojí)

• Czech: superlativ (cs) m
• Danish: superlativ (da)
• Dutch: overtreffende trap (nl) m, superlatief (nl) m
• Finnish: superlatiivi (fi), yliaste (fi)
• French: superlatif (fr) m
• German: Superlativ (de) m
• Greek: υπερθετικό (el) (yperthetikó) n
• Hungarian: felsőfok (hu)
• Icelandic: efsta stig (is) n
• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Japanese: 最上級 (ja) (さいじょうきゅう, saijōkyū)

• Jèrriais: supèrlatif m
• Korean: 최상급 (ko) (choi-sang-geup,最上級)
• Latin: superlativus (la) m
• Norwegian: superlativ (no) m
• Novial: superlative
• Old English: oferstígendlic adj
• Persian: صفت برترین (sefat-e bartarin)
• Polish: stopień najwyższy m
• Portuguese: superlativo (pt) m
• Russian: превосходная степень (ru) (prevosxódnaja stépen’) f, суперлятив (ru) (superljatív) m
• Scottish Gaelic: feabhasach (gd) m
• Serbo-Croatian: sȕperlatīv (sh) m
• Slovene: presežnik m, superlativ m
• Spanish: superlativo (es) m
• Swedish: superlativ (sv) n

adjective used to praise

• Finnish: superlatiivi (fi)
• Italian: superlativo (it) m

• Norwegian: superlativ (no) n
• Serbo-Croatian: sȕperlatīv (sh) m

Adjective

superlative (not comparable)

1. Exceptionally good; of the highest quality; superb.
2. (grammar) Of or relating to a superlative.

Usage notes

Rather formal, reflecting its Latin etymology; more colloquial alternatives include exceptional, fabulous, above and beyond, and others.

Synonyms

• (exceptionally good): above and beyond, exceptional, extraordinary, superb

Translations

exceptionally good

• Finnish: erinomainen (fi), häikäisevä (fi)
• French: suprême (fr)
• German: höchst (de), hervorragend (de)
• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Novial: superlativi

• Polish: doskonały (pl) m, znakomity (pl) m
• Portuguese: supremo (pt)
• Romanian: suprem (ro), superlativ (ro)
• Russian: высочайший (ru) (vysočájšij), величайший (ru) (veličájšij)
• Spanish: supremo (es)

of or pertaining to a superlative

• Finnish: superlatiivinen (fi)
• French: superlatif (fr) m
• Greek: υπερθετικός (el) (yperthetikós)

• Italian: superlativo (it) m
• Romanian: superlativ (ro)
• Scottish Gaelic: feabhasach (gd)

See also

• absolute
• comparative
• elative

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French

Adjective

superlative f

1. feminine form of superlatif

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Italian

Adjective

superlative f

1. feminine plural of superlativo