supreme

supreme — adjective

1. having the highest position of power, authority, or importance within a system,

1.形容詞B2
釋義

having the highest position of power, authority, or importance within a system, government, or organisation.

例句

The Supreme Court ruled that the law violated citizens' rights.

collocation: Supreme Court (official title, always capitalised)

General Quan served as the supreme commander during the military campaign.

collocation: supreme commander

同義詞
  • highest

    more general term; 'highest court' vs 'Supreme Court'

  • paramount

    formal, emphasises priority over everything else

  • sovereign

    refers to a ruler or state with absolute authority

反義詞

文法句型

supreme + noun

be + supreme

用法筆記

Often capitalised in official titles (the Supreme Court, the Supreme Leader). Frequently used attributively before the noun it modifies.

常見錯誤

❌The high court is the supreme court of the country.
✅The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
💡When referring to the institution, 'Supreme Court' is a proper noun and should be capitalised.
❌This is the more supreme authority.
✅This is the supreme authority.
💡Supreme is a strong adjective and is generally not used with more/most.

2. to the highest possible degree; extremely great in amount, level, or quality — u

2.形容詞B2
釋義

to the highest possible degree; extremely great in amount, level, or quality — used to emphasise the strength of a quality or action.

例句

The rescue team made a supreme effort to reach the trapped hikers before dark.

collocation: supreme effort

Hoa spoke with supreme confidence during her job interview at the hospital.

同義詞
  • utmost

    similar intensity, common in 'utmost importance', 'do one's utmost'

  • extreme

    can have negative connotations (extreme heat, extreme views)

  • exceptional

    focuses on being unusually good rather than at the highest level

反義詞

文法句型

supreme + noun of quality

用法筆記

Strong adjective — do not use 'more supreme' or 'most supreme'. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not appear in titles. Commonly paired with nouns like effort, confidence, skill, patience, care.

常見錯誤

❌This cake is more supreme than that one.
✅This cake is far better than that one.
💡Supreme is not used to compare everyday things. It already means the highest possible level.
❌I made a supreme effort' (for a small task).
✅I made a supreme effort to finish the project before the deadline.
💡Use supreme effort only for something that costs a great deal of energy, not for routine tasks.

3. representing the highest or final point that cannot be exceeded — used especiall

3.形容詞C1
釋義

representing the highest or final point that cannot be exceeded — used especially for life-or-death matters, final limits, or the greatest possible version of something.

例句

The soldier made the supreme sacrifice by giving his life to save his comrades.

collocation: supreme sacrifice (giving one's life)

Crossing the finish line was the supreme moment of Amira's running career.

collocation: supreme moment

同義詞
  • ultimate

    more common in everyday use; similar meaning of final endpoint

  • definitive

    emphasises finality and authority; 'the definitive answer'

  • paramount

    overlapping for importance, but lacks the finality of 'supreme'

反義詞

文法句型

supreme + noun (serious contexts)

用法筆記

Used in serious, often life-or-death contexts. 'Supreme sacrifice' is a fixed expression meaning death for a cause. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 carries a sense of finality and is less about intensity and more about being the ultimate point beyond which nothing further exists.

常見錯誤

❌I made the supreme sacrifice by skipping lunch.
✅I made a small sacrifice by skipping lunch.
💡Supreme sacrifice specifically means giving up one's life for others, not a small everyday compromise.
❌This is the supreme exam of the semester.
✅This is the final exam of the semester.
💡Supreme as 'final' is only used in serious, weighty contexts, not routine academic ones.