name · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)mæn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈsupɚmæn/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈs(j)uːpəmæn/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S UW1 P ER0 M AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:S UW1 P ER0 M AE2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
A fictional comic-book superhero with superhuman strength and speed, X-ray vision, and the ability to fly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Man of Steel, Supes
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An imagined superior type of human being representing a new stage of human development; an übermensch, an overman.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
Examples
Nietzsche wrote of the coming of the superman.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A man of extraordinary or seemingly superhuman powers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Alternative letter-case form of superman: a man of extraordinary or seemingly superhuman powers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A stunt in which the rider releases both hands from the handlebars in mid-air.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: plural Supermans
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, motorcycling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
An exercise in which one lies prone and lifts one's arms and legs, with only the abdomen touching the ground.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: plural Supermans
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A flavor of ice cream that is a mixture of blue moon ice cream, and other ice cream flavors that are colored red and yellow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
street name for lysergic acid diethylamide
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: acid, back breaker, battery-acid, dose, dot, Elvis, loony toons, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, pane, window pane, Zen
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD
9
noun
Meaning 9
a person with great powers and abilities
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: demigod, Ubermensch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: leader
History
Etymology
From super- + man. The character, created by Jerry Siegel (1914–1996) and Joe Shuster (1914–1992), first appeared in DC Comics’ Action Comics #1 dated June 1938. The ice-cream flavor is named in reference to the red, yellow and blue of the superhero's costume.
A calque of German Übermensch; super- + man. The German word was introduced by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) in his work Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 1883), and rendered in English as superman by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) in the play Man and Superman (1903) and by Thomas Common (1850–1919) in his 1909 translation of Nietzsche’s work. Some scholars regard this word as not properly conveying the meaning of Übermensch, and prefer to use the German word or overman. The “person of extraordinary powers” sense was reinforced by the DC Comics’ character Superman, who first appeared in Action Comics #1 dated June 1938.
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Arabic:
سُوبَرْمَان
(sūbarmān)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Bengali:
সুপারম্যান
(śuparomman)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Chinese Mandarin:
超人
(Chāorén)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Esperanto:
Superviro
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Finnish:
Teräsmies
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
French:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Georgian:
სუპერმენი
(suṗermeni)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
German:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
German:
Supermann
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Greek:
Υπεράνθρωπος
(Yperánthropos)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Greek:
Σούπερμαν
(Soúperman)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Hebrew:
סופרמן
(supermen)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Hindi:
सूपरमैन
(sūparmain)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Icelandic:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Icelandic:
Ofurmennið
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Italian:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Italian:
Nembo Kid
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Italian:
superuomo
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Japanese:
スーパーマン
(Sūpāman)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Korean:
슈퍼맨
(Syupeomaen)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Latin:
Superhomō
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Macedonian:
Су́пермен
(Súpermen)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Marathi:
सुपरमॅन
(suparmĕn)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Norwegian Bokmål:
Supermann
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Norwegian Nynorsk:
Supermann
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Norwegian Nynorsk:
Stålmannen
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Polish:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Portuguese:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Portuguese:
Super-Homem
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Russian:
Суперме́н
(Supermén)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Spanish:
Superhombre
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Swedish:
Stålmannen
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Turkish:
Superman
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Turkish:
Süpermen
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Vietnamese:
Siêu Nhân
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
Yiddish:
סופּערמאַן
(superman)
— a fictional character with superhuman powers
