ultra

ultra — noun

1. a person whose political or religious beliefs are far more extreme than what mos

1.nounB2
Definition

a person whose political or religious beliefs are far more extreme than what most people hold, sometimes leading them to support radical or even violent actions.

Example

The rally attracted ultras from both the far left and the far right of the political spectrum.

plural form 'ultras' for extremist groups

Hao's newspaper column warned that religious ultras were gaining influence in the region.

Common collocations
  • political ultra
  • religious ultra
  • ultras within the party
  • known ultras
Synonyms
  • extremist

    the most common and direct synonym, used in the same political/religious contexts

  • radical

    broader in meaning; can describe anyone who wants major change, not necessarily through violence

  • hardliner

    suggests someone who refuses to compromise within a political group, closer to 'intransigent' than 'violent'

Antonyms
  • moderate

    a person with measured, middle-ground views

Grammar Patterns

often used with 'political' or 'religious' as modifier

Usage Note

Often used in news reporting and political analysis. Frequently appears in the plural form 'ultras' to refer to a group of extremists within a movement or party.

Common Mistakes

He is an ultra of the conservative party.
He is an ultra in the conservative party.
the preposition 'in' is used rather than 'of' when describing membership within a group.
The ultra group attacked the building.
The group of ultras attacked the building.
'ultra' as a noun is countable but not commonly used as an adjective before another noun.

2. a football fan who belongs to a highly organised supporters' club, known for lou

2.nounB2
Definition

a football fan who belongs to a highly organised supporters' club, known for loud singing, waving flags, and putting on large displays of banners and fireworks during matches.

Example

The home-team ultras lit flares and sang continuously throughout the entire ninety minutes.

plural 'ultras' for organized fan groups

Imran travelled from Manchester to Milan to watch the match with the local ultras in their section of the stadium.

Common collocations
  • home-team ultras
  • organised ultras
  • ultras section
  • ultras group
  • Italian ultras
Synonyms
  • supporter

    a general term; less intense and not implying organized group membership

  • fan

    the most general term; any person who likes a team, without the organized-display aspect

Grammar Patterns

usually plural: ultras

Usage Note

This sense is closely associated with European football culture, particularly in Italy, Spain, and Eastern Europe. In British football contexts, 'ultras' is often contrasted with 'hooligans' — ultras focus on visual and vocal support, while hooligans engage in violence.

3. a long-distance running event that covers more than the standard marathon distan

3.nounB2
Definition

a long-distance running event that covers more than the standard marathon distance of 42.2 kilometres, often taking place on trails or rough terrain.

Example

Amira finished her first ultra last weekend, running 80 kilometres through the desert in blistering heat.

collocation: 'run / finish an ultra'

To prepare for a 100-kilometre trail ultra, Chen trained on mountain passes at 3000 metres, testing her lungs and hydration strategy.

Common collocations
  • run an ultra
  • finish an ultra
  • 100-kilometre ultra
  • trail ultra
  • enter an ultra
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

often as 'ultra' short for 'ultra-marathon'

Usage Note

In informal sports contexts, 'ultra' is used as a short form of 'ultra-marathon'. The official minimum distance is 50 kilometres, but most ultras range from 50 km to 100 miles (161 km).

Common Mistakes

I ran an ultra yesterday' (when you mean a very long training run).
I ran an ultra yesterday
it was 80 kilometres organized by the local running club.' — 'ultra' in this sense always refers to an official race event, not just any long run.

ultra — prefix

ultra — adjective

Word family

  • ultra-
    prefixB2
  • ultra-modern
    adjectiveB2
  • ultra-light
    adjectiveB2
  • ultra-marathon
    nounB2
  • ultra-sensitive
    adjectiveC1
  • ultrasonic
    adjectiveC1
  • ultraviolet
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: prefix/1

All four prefixes intensify the word they attach to, but they differ in tone and context. 'Ultra-' suggests going beyond a standard or boundary, which gives it a slightly technical or measured feel (ultra-light, ultra-sonic). 'Super-' is the most common and informal intensifier, used in everyday language (super-fast, super-soft) and marketing. 'Hyper-' carries a sense of excessiveness, sometimes with a critical tone (hyper-sensitive can mean 'too sensitive'). 'Uber-' comes from German and means 'over' or 'top'; in English it suggests the ultimate or highest degree, often in trendy or informal blends (uber-rich, uber-cool). In formal writing, 'ultra-' and 'super-' appear most frequently; 'hyper-' appears in technical terms (hypertension, hyperactive); 'uber-' is mostly informal. For example: 'an ultra-modern kitchen' (beyond modern), 'a super-soft blanket' (very soft), 'hyper-critical parents' (excessively critical), and 'an uber-fancy restaurant' (the fanciest).

ultra-super-hyper-uber-

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • far-right ultras
  • known ultras
  • home-team ultras
  • run an ultra
  • finish an ultra
  • ultra-modern design
  • ultra-light equipment

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'ultra' comes directly from Latin 'ultra', meaning 'beyond' or 'on the far side of'. It entered English in the early 19th century, first used as a prefix in scientific terms (ultrasonic, ultraviolet) and later in political descriptions ('ultra' as a noun for an extremist dates from the 1820s). The football fan sense developed in Italian football culture in the 1960s and 1970s, spreading to other European countries alongside the organized supporter movement. The ultra-marathon sense emerged in the 1970s as distance running grew beyond the traditional marathon.