superb means first-rate; of the highest quality; exceptionally good. It carries an Arena rating of 1552, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, superb ranks #2,471 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #3,900 of 17,130 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #4,282 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #5,957 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words.
superb is pronounced /suːˈpɜːb/.
Why “superb” is a great word
Of surpassing excellence, characterized by magnificent or grand quality. From the Latin superbus ("proud, superior, splendid"), from super ("above, over"). First recorded in English use in the 1540s. Unlike "excellent" (which suggests a general, high standard) or "haughty" (which denotes disdainful pride), "superb" carries a stately, almost aristocratic grandeur. It is the flawless arc of a cathedral vault, the final, triumphant chord of a symphony, the unblemished coat of a panther in repose—an achievement so complete it silences mere admiration, leaving only the quiet acknowledgment of a standard that cannot be exceeded.
adj
- First-rate; of the highest quality; exceptionally good.e.g.“This champagne is superb.”
- Grand; magnificent; august; stately.e.g.“a superb edifice; a superb colonnade”
- Haughty.e.g.“A remark which Isabella received with a superb curl of the lip, but at the same time, and to her brother's infinite relief, she walked away.”
Words closest in meaning
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