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superior

The salesman boasted to his customer that the $1 million car was well worth the price because it was far superior, meaning of higher quality, to any car that had come before it. This car, the salesman bragged, could fly.

Superior comes from the Latin word meaning above and it literally means something that is above others in quality or status. Sometimes being superior can be perceived as a negative, as in the woman who acts superior to all of her friends, having a high opinion of herself just because she has millions of dollars in the bank after winning the lottery.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: superior

1
 adjn
of high or superior quality or performance
one of greater rank or station or quality
2
 adj
(sometimes followed by `to') not subject to or influenced by
3
 adjn
written or printed above and to one side of another character
a character or symbol set or printed or written above and immediately to one side of another character
4
 adj
having an orbit farther from the sun than the Earth's orbit
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: superior
1

adj of high or superior quality or performance

“superior wisdom derived from experience”
“superior math students”
Synonyms
best
(superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities
A-one, ace, crack, first-rate, super, tiptop, top-notch, topnotch, tops
of the highest quality
banner
unusually good; outstanding
blue-ribbon, select
selected or chosen for special qualifications
boss, brag
exceptionally good
brilliant, superb
of surpassing excellence
capital
first-rate
choice, prime, prize, quality, select
of superior grade
excellent, fantabulous, first-class, splendid
very good;of the highest quality
gilt-edged
of the highest quality or value
greatest, sterling, superlative
highest in quality
high-performance
modified to give superior performance
outstanding
distinguished from others in excellence
premium
having or reflecting superior quality or value
pucka, pukka
absolutely first class and genuine
shining
marked by exceptional merit
spiffing
excellent or splendid
supreme
highest in excellence or achievement
top-flight, top-hole, topping
excellent; best possible
surpassing, transcendent
exceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence
weapons-grade
of a quality adequate for use in weapons (especially in weapons of mass destruction)
well-made
skillfully constructed
Antonyms:
inferior
of low or inferior quality
worst
(superlative of `bad') most wanting in quality or value or condition
bad
below average in quality or performance
base
(used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal
bum, cheap, cheesy, chintzy, crummy, punk, sleazy, tinny
of very poor quality; flimsy
bush, bush-league
not of the highest quality or sophistication
cheapjack, shoddy, tawdry
cheap and shoddy
coarse, common
of low or inferior quality or value
coarsened
made coarse or crude by lack of skill
commercial, commercial-grade
of the kind or quality used in commerce; average or inferior
deplorable, execrable, miserable, woeful, wretched
of very poor quality or condition
less
(usually preceded by `no') lower in quality
low-grade
of inferior quality
mediocre, second-rate
moderate to inferior in quality
ropey, ropy
(British informal) very poor in quality
scrawny, scrubby, stunted
inferior in size or quality
second-class
of inferior status or quality
third-rate
of lesser quality than second-rate
utility, utility-grade
used of beef; usable but inferior
show more antonyms...

adj of or characteristic of high rank or importance

“a superior ruler”
Synonyms
dominant
exercising influence or control
high
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
arch, condescending, patronising, patronizing
(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
eminent, high
standing above others in quality or position
leading, preeminent
greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement
high-level, high-ranking, upper-level
at an elevated level in rank or importance
majestic, olympian
majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters
superordinate
of higher rank or status or value
upper
superior in rank or accomplishment
Antonyms:
inferior
of or characteristic of low rank or importance
low-level, subordinate
lower in rank or importance
low
literal meanings; being at or having a relatively small elevation or upward extension
low
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
humble, low, lowly, modest, small
low or inferior in station or quality
indifferent
fairly poor to not very good
low-level
at a low level in rank or importance
middle-level
intermediate in rank or position
outclassed
decisively surpassed by something else so as to appear to be of a lower class
show more antonyms...

adj having a higher rank

“superior officer”
Synonyms:
higher-ranking, ranking
senior
older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service

n one of greater rank or station or quality

Synonyms:
higher-up, superordinate
Antonyms:
inferior
one of lesser rank or station or quality
Examples:
Harley Granville-Barker
English actor and dramatist and critic and director noted for his productions of Shakespearean plays (1877-1946)
Elia Kazanjoglous
United States stage and screen director (born in Turkey) and believer in method acting (1909-2003)
Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky
Russian actor and theater director who trained his actors to emphasize the psychological motivation of their roles (1863-1938)
Types:
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better
a superior person having claim to precedence
god
a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people
supervisor
one who supervises or has charge and direction of
bell captain
the supervisor of bellboys in a hotel
counsellor, counselor
someone who has supervisory duties at a summer camp
den mother
someone who plays the role of a den mother
director, theater director, theatre director
someone who supervises the actors and directs the action in the production of a show
boss, chief, foreman, gaffer, honcho
a person who exercises control over workers
forewoman
a woman in charge of a group of workers
overseer, superintendent
a person who directs and manages an organization
oyabun
a Japanese supervisor
monitor, proctor
someone who supervises (an examination)
director of research, research director
a supervisor in a research center
stage manager, stager
someone who supervises the physical aspects in the production of a show and who is in charge of the stage when the show is being performed
system administrator
a person in charge of managing and maintaining a computer system of telecommunication system (as for a business or institution)
taskmaster
someone who imposes hard or continuous work
trail boss
the person responsible for driving a herd of cattle
Type of:
leader
a person who rules or guides or inspires others

n the head of a religious community

Examples:
Saint Bridget
Irish abbess; a patron saint of Ireland (453-523)
Heloise
student and mistress and wife of Abelard (circa 1098-1164)
Types:
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abbess, mother superior, prioress
the superior of a group of nuns
abbot, archimandrite
the superior of an abbey of monks
prior
the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
abbe
a French abbot
mother
a term of address for a mother superior
Type of:
religious
a member of a religious order who is bound by vows of poverty and chastity and obedience

n a combatant who is able to defeat rivals

Synonyms:
master, victor
Examples:
Alexander the Great
king of Macedon; conqueror of Greece and Egypt and Persia; founder of Alexandria (356-323 BC)
Types:
conqueror, vanquisher
someone who is victorious by force of arms
subjugator
a conqueror who defeats and enslaves
Type of:
battler, belligerent, combatant, fighter, scrapper
someone who fights (or is fighting)
2

adj (sometimes followed by `to') not subject to or influenced by

“overcome by a superior opponent”
“trust magnates who felt themselves superior to law”
Synonyms
dominant
exercising influence or control

adj (often followed by `to') above being affected or influenced by

“he is superior to fear”
“an ignited firework proceeds superior to circumstances until its blazing vitality fades”
Synonyms
unaffected
undergoing no change when acted upon
3

adj written or printed above and to one side of another character

Synonyms:
superscript
Antonyms:
inferior, subscript
written or printed below and to one side of another character
adscript
written or printed immediately following another character and aligned with it
show more antonyms...

n a character or symbol set or printed or written above and immediately to one side of another character

Synonyms:
superscript
Antonyms:
inferior, subscript
a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character
Type of:
character, grapheme, graphic symbol
a written symbol that is used to represent speech
4

adj having an orbit farther from the sun than the Earth's orbit

“Mars and Jupiter are the closest in of the superior planets”
Antonyms:
inferior
having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit
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