superiors
superiors — adjective
- superiorspositive
- more superiorscomparative
- most superiorssuperlative
1. of a noticeably higher quality or standard than what is usual or than another th
of a noticeably higher quality or standard than what is usual or than another thing of the same kind — so significantly better that it stands out from the rest.
The furniture at the hotel was made of superior materials that lasted for years.
superior + materials / quality / workmanship
Sophia thought her design was superior to the ones her classmates had submitted.
superior to + noun phrase
Tanvi earned a superior rating on her performance review and got a bonus.
The supermarket claims its own brand is superior to the national brands.
Hiro chose the university because of its superior reputation in engineering.
- better
more general and common; 'superior' is more formal and strongly implies top quality
- excellent
focuses on very high quality; 'superior' adds the idea of being better than others, not just good on its own
- first-rate
informal alternative; same meaning but less formal in tone
文法句型
superior + noun
superior to + noun/pronoun
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'to' when making a comparison: 'X is superior to Y'. Unlike 'better than', 'superior to' is never used with 'than'.
常見錯誤
2. showing by words or behaviour that you regard yourself as above, more important,
showing by words or behaviour that you regard yourself as above, more important, or cleverer than those around you — typically in an unpleasant, condescending way that makes others feel small.
The new manager spoke to the staff in a superior tone that annoyed everyone.
superior tone / manner / attitude
David tried to hide his superior smile when he heard about his colleague's mistake.
Eli did not want to sound superior, so he praised the other teams after winning.
The customer's superior attitude made the shop assistant feel uncomfortable and angry.
- condescending
stronger focus on talking down to others, more formal
- snobbish
implies looking down on people of lower social status
- haughty
more literary; suggests proud and disdainful behaviour
文法句型
superior + noun (manner/attitude/smile)
feel/sound/act superior
用法筆記
This sense always carries a negative judgement. Unlike sense 1 (BETTER THAN AVERAGE) which describes objective quality, this sense describes a personality flaw or condescending behaviour.
常見錯誤
3. having a higher position, level, or authority within an organisation, system, or
having a higher position, level, or authority within an organisation, system, or hierarchy — used of people, courts, military ranks, or administrative bodies.
Isabela reported directly to her superior officer at the military base.
superior officer
The court of appeal has superior authority over the lower district courts.
superior authority / court / body
In the company structure, a regional director is superior to a branch manager.
Stephanie had to follow the instructions from a superior judge in the same courthouse.
The sergeant saluted when his superior entered the room during the ceremony.
- higher-ranking
more explicit about hierarchy, less formal
- senior
common in workplace contexts; can also refer to age or experience
- higher
simpler but less precise; used in compound nouns like 'higher court'
- junior
lower in rank or position within an organisation
- subordinate
under the authority of someone else
文法句型
superior + noun (officer/court/authority)
superior to + person/institution
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (BETTER THAN AVERAGE): this sense is about position in a hierarchy, not about quality. A 'superior officer' is someone of higher rank, not necessarily a better officer.
常見錯誤
4. located nearer to the top of the body, the head, or a reference point — used esp
located nearer to the top of the body, the head, or a reference point — used especially in medical or anatomical descriptions of body parts and their positions.
The superior vena cava carries blood from the upper body back to the heart.
superior vena cava (major vein)
The fracture was located on the superior edge of the patient's left shoulder blade.
superior edge / surface / part
Doctors discovered a small tumour in the superior lobe of the right lung.
The superior portion of the spinal cord connects directly to the brain stem.
- inferior
anatomical term meaning lower or towards the feet
文法句型
superior + anatomical noun
用法筆記
In medical contexts, 'superior' is the opposite of 'inferior'. It is a standard directional term used in anatomy, nursing, and veterinary science. Not commonly used in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
5. not affected or controlled by something unpleasant or negative — such as threats
not affected or controlled by something unpleasant or negative — such as threats, criticism, pain, or temptation — because you are strong enough or confident enough to rise above it.
The old judge was superior to the threats and continued the trial without fear.
superior to + threats / criticism / pressure
Obi stayed calm and was superior to the petty insults from the audience.
Noor remained superior to the temptation of checking social media during the exam.
The villagers proved superior to the hardship and rebuilt their homes after the flood.
- above
more common in everyday speech; 'above the criticism' is simpler
- immune to
suggests complete protection; 'superior to' implies active strength of character
- unaffected by
more neutral; lacks the implication of moral strength
- susceptible to
easily affected or harmed by something
- vulnerable to
open to being hurt or influenced
文法句型
superior to + noun (threats/criticism/pressure)
用法筆記
Always used with 'to' followed by a noun referring to something negative (threats, criticism, temptation, hardship, pain). The subject is typically a person or group showing resilience. This is a fairly formal usage.
常見錯誤
superiors — noun
1. a person who holds a higher rank, position, or level of authority than you withi
a person who holds a higher rank, position, or level of authority than you within an organisation — someone you report to or receive orders from, such as a boss, manager, or commanding officer.
Tanvi asked her superior for a day off to attend her sister's wedding in Osaka.
ask / report to / consult one's superior
The factory workers presented their safety concerns directly to their superiors at the meeting.
David was a kind superior who always listened to his team before making decisions.
After her promotion, Isabela had to manage her former colleagues as their superior.
The army has a strict rule that soldiers must salute their superiors at all times.
- boss
more informal and common in everyday conversation
- manager
focuses on the role of directing people's work
- supervisor
someone who watches over the work of others; closer in meaning but often used for lower-level management
- subordinate
a person who is under the authority of another
- junior
a person with a lower rank or position
文法句型
possessive + superior
one's superior
the superior of + person
用法筆記
In the plural form 'superiors', this is often used generally to refer to the management or higher-ranking staff in an organisation. The singular 'superior' is common in military and formal workplace contexts. 'Boss' is more informal and common in everyday speech.