supersonic
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Greater than the speed of sound in a given medium.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
soopersahnikSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
supɚˈsɑnɪk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
of speed
Greater than the speed of sound in a given medium (especially air)
“A supersonic bomber flies so fast that it must release its bombs while the target is still over the horizon.”
of a speed
Greater than the speed of sound (in the same medium, and at the same temperature and pressure).
colloquialof a sound
Ultrasonic, having a frequency too high to be audible.
noun
An aircraft that can travel at the speed of sound.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Uncommon
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (of speed) greater than the speed of sound in a given medium (especially air)
Used this way, supersonic is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“A supersonic bomber flies so fast that it must release its bombs while the target is still over the horizon.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use supersonic
- “A supersonic bomber flies so fast that it must release its bombs while the target is still over the horizon.”adjective
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “supersonic” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.