super
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe something of very high quality, but they differ in register and intensity. 'Great' is the most general and common — you can use it in almost any situation, from 'a great meal' to 'a great film.' 'Super' is slightly more informal and enthusiastic; it often appears in everyday conversation ('We had a super time at the park!'). 'Fantastic' is more expressive and suggests excitement or pleasant surprise ('The show was fantastic — I could not believe the dancing!'). 'Excellent' is more formal and measured, commonly used in professional or academic writing ('The team produced an excellent quarterly report'). 'Superb' is the strongest of the four, reserved for things that truly stand out as the finest of their kind ('The orchestra gave a superb performance that received a long standing ovation'). In short: 'great' is your all-purpose word; 'super' for casual enthusiasm; 'fantastic' for vivid praise; 'excellent' for formal approval; 'superb' for the very best.
Common collocations
Prepositions
- super at
Etymology
'Super' comes from the Latin preposition and prefix 'super,' meaning 'above, over, beyond.' It entered English in the 1600s through French words that already carried the prefix (such as 'superb' and 'superior'), as well as directly from Latin in scientific and scholarly vocabulary. By the mid-1800s, English speakers began using 'super' as a standalone adjective meaning 'first-rate,' and in the 1900s it became a popular informal intensifier ('super fast'). The prefix remains highly productive, allowing speakers to create new compounds for anything that goes beyond the usual — from 'superfood' to 'superspreader.'