supersonic
adj.moving or traveling faster than the speed of sound. You use this to describe very fast planes or the loud noise they make when they break the sound barrier.
adj.relating to or capable of achieving speeds greater than the speed of sound in the surrounding medium. Typically used attributively to describe aircraft, projectiles, or airflow.
“The supersonic jet crossed the ocean in record time.”
“Residents living near the airbase often hear a loud boom when the fighter jets reach supersonic speeds during training.”
“Engineers must account for extreme heat and pressure when designing the fuselage of a supersonic transport vehicle to ensure structural integrity at Mach 2.”
Typically precedes the noun it modifies; often used in technical or aviation contexts.
“Airlines aimed to achieve a similar goal decades ago with a supersonic passenger aircraft called the Concorde .”
From super- + sonic. Doublet of hypersonic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.