# superlative

/sʊˈpɝɫətɪv/ (US) · /suːpˈɜːlətˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/superlative
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. high praise

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

an expression of very high praise or a word that describes something as the best.

For teachers: an exaggerated expression of praise or a term used to describe something as being of the highest possible quality.

- The critics used every superlative to describe the actor's amazing performance.
- The marketing campaign was filled with superlatives, claiming the new software was the fastest, most reliable, and most intuitive tool ever created.

### 3. excellent

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

of the highest quality; much better than others.

For teachers: surpassing all others; very high in quality or degree.

- The hotel provides superlative service to all its guests.
- Her superlative skills as a negotiator allowed the company to secure the contract despite heavy competition from international firms.

## Examples

- When comparing the three different brands of coffee, the superlative form of 'best' is used to identify the winner.
- While some languages use a single suffix for all superlatives, English often relies on a combination of 'most' and the adjective, though irregular forms like 'best' and 'worst' remain common.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.