Superlatives are adjectives or adverbs used to describe something as the best or worst. They can be seen in words like “iest” or “est” and can be used to compare three or more things. However, using superlatives to describe something as the best when it’s not can be seen as exaggerated and damage credibility.
A superlative is a grammatical concept that describes the behavior of certain adjectives or adverbs used to imply that something is the best or the worst, the best or the least. Alternatively, the word can be used on its own to describe something in the best possible place. A person might be a superlative writer, singer, or juggler, and this would imply the person’s extreme and unsurpassed skill at these things.
Many forms of superlative adjectives end in iest or est. Consider the following examples:
I had the biggest ice cream.
That’s the ugliest dog!
Superlatives are often higher-value versions of words such as most, conversely, more or better as opposed to better. For example:
That roller coaster was the most thrilling I’ve ever ridden.
This is the best day of my life.
There are some adverbs that can also be seen as superlatives. Words like completely, perfectly, completely, and many more can fall into this category. They may or may not be appropriate depending on the circumstances in which they are used.
While superlatives can color language, they can also make it exaggerated or redundant. A statement like: my stomach was completely empty after the flu is redundant. If something is empty, this implies that it has nothing in itself so the use of a superlative, except to color language is questionable and perhaps repetitive. This tendency towards hyperbolic language with superlatives is to be avoided in academic circles and many other formal writing contexts, but it can be fine to use it on a social media site, an email to a friend, or in conversation.
Another mistake people might make with superlatives is to use them to compare two items instead of three or more. This especially occurs when people use “more” instead of “more” or “better” instead of “better”. Other words that can be used to compare three or more things, with er or ier, and est or iest include examples like taller, taller, taller, or nicer, nicer, nicer. Imagine comparing the attractiveness of two people. One would be cuter, while the other might be cuter, but neither person would be cuter when compared together. It would take at least one more person to compare to make the cutest superlative appropriate.
In the other definitions that revolve around the word superlative, the usage in writing can be colorful or exaggerated. Describing something at its most accomplished when it’s not can be annoying to some readers. For example, saying that a five-year-old is the best baseball player in the history of the time, or a superlative singer can be laughed off unless it’s true, and that can damage the writer’s credibility. On the other hand, neat superlatives are a lovely way to praise or acknowledge the abilities of others.
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