Superlative

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Superlative \Su`per*la"tive\, a. [L. superlativus, fr.
     superlatus excessive, used as p. p. of superiorferre, but
     from a different root: cf. F. superlatif. See {Elate},
     {Tolerate}.]
     1. Lifted up to the highest degree; most eminent; surpassing
        all other; supreme; as, superlative wisdom or prudence; a


        woman of superlative beauty; the superlative glory of the
        divine character.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Gram.) Expressing the highest or lowest degree of the
        quality, manner, etc., denoted by an adjective or an
        adverb. The superlative degree is formed from the positive
        by the use of -est, most, or least; as, highest, most
        pleasant, least bright.
        [1913 Webster] -- {Su`per*la"tive*ly}, adv. --
        {Su`per*la"tive*ness}, n.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Superlative \Su`per*la"tive\, n.
     1. That which is highest or most eminent; the utmost degree.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Gram.)
        (a) The superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs;
            also, a form or word by which the superlative degree
            is expressed; as, strongest, wisest, most stormy,
            least windy, are all superlatives.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     {Absolute superlative}, a superlative in an absolute rather
        than in a comparative or exclusive sense. See {Elative}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  superlative
       adj : highest in quality [syn: {greatest}, {sterling(a)}]
       n 1: an exaggerated expression (usually of praise); "the critics
            lavished superlatives on it"
       2: the highest level or degree attainable; "his landscapes were
          deemed the acme of beauty"; "the artist's gifts are at
          their acme"; "at the height of her career"; "the peak of
          perfection"; "summer was at its peak"; "...catapulted
          Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"; "the summit of his
          ambition"; "so many highest superlatives achieved by man";
          "at the top of his profession" [syn: {acme}, {height}, {elevation},
           {peak}, {pinnacle}, {summit}, {top}]
       3: the superlative form of an adjective; "`best' is the
          superlative form of `good'"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  215 Moby Thesaurus words for "superlative":
     Olympian, absolute, accomplished, ace, aerial, aggrandized,
     aggrandizement, airy, altitudinous, amplification, amplified,
     arrant, ascending, aspiring, ballyhoo, ballyhooed, best, big talk,
     blowing up, burlesque, capital, caricature, champion, choice,
     chosen, classical, colossal, complete, consummate, crack, crass,
     cream, dazzling, decided, definitive, dilatation, dilation,
     disproportionate, dominating, downright, egregious, elect,
     elevated, elite, eminent, enhancement, enlargement, ethereal,
     exaggerated, exaggerating, exaggeration, exalted, excellent,
     exceptional, excess, excessive, exorbitance, exorbitant, expansion,
     extraordinary, extravagance, extravagant, extreme, fantastic, fat,
     finest, finished, first-class, first-rate, flagrant, flower,
     glaring, grandiloquence, grandiloquent, great, greatest, gross,
     haughty, heightening, high, high-flown, high-pitched,
     high-reaching, high-set, high-up, highest, huckstering, hyperbole,
     hyperbolic, hyperbolism, incomparable, inflated, inflation,
     inordinacy, inordinate, intolerable, lofty, magnification,
     magnificent, magnified, matchless, maximal, maximum, monumental,
     most, mounting, nonesuch, nonpareil, optimum, out-and-out,
     outright, outstanding, outtopping, overdone, overdrawn,
     overemphasis, overemphasized, overemphatic, overestimated,
     overestimation, overgreat, overkill, overlarge, overlooking,
     overpraised, oversold, overstated, overstatement, overstressed,
     overtopping, overwrought, paragon, paramount, peerless, perfect,
     pick, positive, precious, prime, prize, prodigal, prodigality,
     profound, profuse, profuseness, prominent, pronounced, proper,
     puffed, puffery, puffing up, queen, quintessence, rank, regular,
     select, sensationalism, shattering, shocking, singular, smashing,
     soaring, spectacular, spiring, stark, stark-staring, steep,
     sterling, stretched, stretching, sublime, super, superb,
     superexcellent, superior, supernal, supreme, surpassing, tall talk,
     terrific, the best, the best ever, the tops, the veriest,
     the very best, thorough, thoroughgoing, tip-top, top, top-notch,
     topless, toplofty, topmost, topping, total, touted, touting,
     towering, towery, travesty, unbearable, unconscionable, undeniable,
     unequivocal, unique, unmitigated, unqualified, unrelieved,
     unspoiled, unsurpassed, uplifted, uppermost, upreared, utmost,
     utter