[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/superlative.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / superlative

[← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/)

# superlative

«superlative» in Mova's school dictionary: **the form of an adjective or adverb that shows the most or…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (superlative); noun (a superlative, superlatives)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (grammar) A superlative is the form of an adjective or adverb that shows the most or least: biggest, fastest, most beautiful, best, worst. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#m1)

2) (formal) Superlative means extremely good, of the highest quality: a superlative performance. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#m2)

3) (noun) Superlatives can also be words of very high praise: "The review was full of superlatives." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In English grammar lessons (and SATs), pupils learn comparatives (bigger, more) and superlatives (biggest, most): short words take -est, long words take "most", and some are irregular (good, better, best; bad, worse, worst). In maths, superlatives in word problems ("the tallest", "the fewest") tell you to find the maximum or minimum. Phrases: "superlative form", "run out of superlatives".

### examples

- "Tallest" is the superlative of "tall". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x1)
- The superlative of "good" is "best". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x2)
- Use "the" before a superlative: the fastest runner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x3)
- The chef cooked a superlative meal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x4)
- The critics ran out of superlatives to describe the show. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x5)
- Find the superlative: "Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x6)
- "Most exciting" is a superlative made with "most". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/#x7)

### note

Rules: one syllable: add -est (big, biggest — double the final consonant after a short vowel); ending in y: change to -iest (happy, happiest); long words: "most" + adjective. Do not use both: not "most biggest". In maths problems, superlatives mean largest (maximum) or smallest (minimum).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «superlative» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/superlative/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.