What does superhuman mean?
Superhuman means greater or stronger than what is normally possible for a person. It is most often used as an adjective before qualities such as strength, endurance, speed, intelligence, or effort, and it frequently carries an emphatic or hyperbolic implication: an extraordinary achievement may be described as requiring superhuman effort even when no literal power beyond human limits is involved. The term can suggest exceptional excellence, but it may also imply that ordinary limits are being pushed to an extreme. As a noun, superhuman denotes a being imagined as superior to humans in power, knowledge, or physical ability; this use is most common in fiction, fantasy, and speculative contexts. The expression is understood in both British and American English. Its force depends heavily on context: literal application suggests something genuinely beyond human capability, while figurative application is a familiar way of emphasizing extraordinary difficulty, endurance, or achievement.
Exceeding ordinary human capabilities, strength, intelligence, endurance, or other limits.
"The rescue workers maintained superhuman effort throughout the night."
Often used figuratively and hyperbolically for exceptional human performance.
A being regarded or imagined as surpassing humans in power, knowledge, or other attributes.
"The comic-book hero is portrayed as a superhuman who cannot be harmed by ordinary weapons."
A relatively rare noun use, especially common in fiction and speculative writing.
The plural is used when referring collectively to multiple beings of this kind, particularly in fictional or speculative contexts.
"The superhumans defend the city from an invading force."
The word combines “above” or “beyond” with “human,” capturing the idea of crossing the ordinary boundaries of human capability.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does superhuman come from?
Superhuman was formed in English from the Latin-derived prefix super-, meaning “above,” “over,” or “beyond,” and human, which comes from Latin humanus, meaning “human” or “of a person.” The combination preserves the idea of exceeding ordinary human qualities. Words including human, humane, humanity, and inhuman belong to the same wider human root, while superhuman specifically developed as an English combination with the intensifying prefix.
Related word forms
How superhuman is actually used
As an adjective, the word is often hyperbolic, especially in journalism and informal speech. The noun is comparatively rare and is used mainly in fiction, speculation, or discussion of exceptional beings.
Easily confused with superhuman
Superhuman describes abilities or qualities that exceed human limits, whereas supernatural describes events or beings attributed to forces beyond the natural world.