Superb
/suːˈpɜːrb/noun
Of unusually high quality; excellent or impressive.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *superbus*, meaning “proud” or “haughty,” the same family that gave English *super*, so its oldest vibe is less “nice” and more “arrogantly towering over others.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*uper
“over, above”
Latin
Latin
super
“above, over, beyond”
Latin
Latin
superbus
“proud, haughty, arrogant”
Old French
Old French
souverbe / superbe
“proud, magnificent, splendid”
Middle English
English
superb
“proud, splendid, excellent”
Modern English
English
superb
“excellent; outstanding in quality”
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