Basic Details
Word: Superior
Part of Speech: Adjective; noun
Meaning: Better, higher in quality or higher in rank. As a noun, it means a person of higher rank, such as one's boss.
Synonyms: better, higher, senior
Antonyms: inferior, junior
How to Spell Superior
Syllables: su - pe - ri - or
Tricky part: The middle is er and the ending is ior. Students write superier, superiour or supirior.
Watch out for: superier, superiour, supirior, superor
Memory tip: Super + ior. Superior, inferior, interior and exterior all end the same way, with ior.
Usage Examples
Example 1: This mango is clearly superior to the ones we bought last week.
Example 2: The officer saluted her superior before the parade.
Example 3: Swathi's essay was superior in every way.
Fun Fact
Lake Superior got its name from the French lac superieur, upper lake, because it lies above Lake Huron on the old route of French travellers.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word 'superior' as used in the sentence:
This new phone has a camera far superior to that of the older model.
a) inferior
b) greater
c) finer
d) better
Show answer
a) inferior. Better, finer and greater all point the same way as superior; inferior points down.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
sup_r_or
a) e, i
b) e, e
c) i, i
d) a, i
Show answer
a) e, i. Find super at the start, then the ending ior.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the correctly spelt word:
1. promoshion 2. managment 3. comittee 4. superior
a) higher in rank or quality
b) a rise to a higher post at work
c) the running of a business or office
d) a group of people chosen to plan or decide
Show answer
a) higher in rank or quality. Committee doubles m and t, management keeps the e of manage, and promotion ends in tion, so superior is the one spelt right.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Someone with a superiority complex ____.
a) refuses to work with others in a team
b) acts as if they are better than everyone
c) is the best student in the whole class
d) is always shy and quiet with new people
Show answer
b) acts as if they are better than everyone
2. In a convent, the Mother Superior is ____.
a) a visiting teacher
b) the cook
c) the youngest nun
d) the nun who leads it
Show answer
d) the nun who leads it
