ultra
ultra — noun
1. a person whose political or religious beliefs are far more extreme than what mos
a person whose political or religious beliefs are far more extreme than what most people hold, sometimes leading them to support radical or even violent actions.
The rally attracted ultras from both the far left and the far right of the political spectrum.
plural form 'ultras' for extremist groups
Hao's newspaper column warned that religious ultras were gaining influence in the region.
Diego left the party after a group of ultras took control of its leadership committee.
Police arrested several known ultras who had been planning to disrupt the public meeting.
- extremist
the most common and direct synonym, used in the same political/religious contexts
- radical
broader in meaning; can describe anyone who wants major change, not necessarily through violence
- hardliner
suggests someone who refuses to compromise within a political group, closer to 'intransigent' than 'violent'
- moderate
a person with measured, middle-ground views
文法句型
often used with 'political' or 'religious' as modifier
用法筆記
Often used in news reporting and political analysis. Frequently appears in the plural form 'ultras' to refer to a group of extremists within a movement or party.
常見錯誤
2. a football fan who belongs to a highly organised supporters' club, known for lou
a football fan who belongs to a highly organised supporters' club, known for loud singing, waving flags, and putting on large displays of banners and fireworks during matches.
The home-team ultras lit flares and sang continuously throughout the entire ninety minutes.
plural 'ultras' for organized fan groups
Imran travelled from Manchester to Milan to watch the match with the local ultras in their section of the stadium.
A group of ultras unveiled a giant banner that covered the whole lower tier of the stand.
The Roma ultras coordinated a massive tifo display before kick-off, spelling out the club's name across the entire curva section.
文法句型
usually plural: ultras
用法筆記
This sense is closely associated with European football culture, particularly in Italy, Spain, and Eastern Europe. In British football contexts, 'ultras' is often contrasted with 'hooligans' — ultras focus on visual and vocal support, while hooligans engage in violence.
3. a long-distance running event that covers more than the standard marathon distan
a long-distance running event that covers more than the standard marathon distance of 42.2 kilometres, often taking place on trails or rough terrain.
Amira finished her first ultra last weekend, running 80 kilometres through the desert in blistering heat.
collocation: 'run / finish an ultra'
To prepare for a 100-kilometre trail ultra, Chen trained on mountain passes at 3000 metres, testing her lungs and hydration strategy.
Linh signed up for a 100-kilometre ultra that follows the mountain ridge along the coast.
The aid station at kilometre 70 of the ultra was crowded with exhausted runners refilling their water bottles.
- ultra-marathon
the full form; more formal and precise than the clipped 'ultra'
- ultra-distance race
used when the activity could also be cycling or swimming
文法句型
often as 'ultra' short for 'ultra-marathon'
用法筆記
In informal sports contexts, 'ultra' is used as a short form of 'ultra-marathon'. The official minimum distance is 50 kilometres, but most ultras range from 50 km to 100 miles (161 km).
常見錯誤
ultra — prefix
1. added to the beginning of adjectives to give them the meaning 'extremely' or 'be
added to the beginning of adjectives to give them the meaning 'extremely' or 'beyond what is ordinary', as in ultra-modern (extremely modern) or ultra-light (extremely light in weight).
The hotel room was ultra-modern, with lights controlled by a tablet next to the bed.
ultra- + modern
Sivan bought an ultra-light tent for the hiking trip because every gram of weight on her back mattered.
The company installed an ultra-sensitive alarm system that could detect the slightest movement in the building.
Ada prefers ultra-fresh ingredients, so she visits the farmer's market every morning before work.
Elise booked an ultra-luxury resort for her honeymoon, with private villas and a personal chef.
- super-
also used as an intensifying prefix; more informal and commercial (super-soft, super-fast)
- hyper-
suggests an excessive or over-the-top quality, often with a slightly negative tone (hyper-sensitive)
- uber-
borrowed from German; conveys 'the ultimate' or 'topmost' quality, common in informal contexts (uber-rich)
文法句型
ultra- + [adjective]
attaches to adjectives to intensify their meaning
用法筆記
The prefix 'ultra-' is productive, meaning new combinations are frequently created in marketing and journalism. Common in product descriptions (ultra-soft, ultra-fast, ultra-thin). Written with a hyphen when attached to a word beginning with a vowel or when the compound is unusual, though established forms like 'ultrasonic' are written solid.
2. added to nouns related to running, cycling, or swimming to describe a version of
added to nouns related to running, cycling, or swimming to describe a version of a sport that covers a longer distance than the standard event, for example ultra-marathon or ultra-cycling.
Hao is training for an ultra-marathon that covers 80 kilometres through mountain trails in the Alps.
ultra- + marathon for extended distance
The ultra-cycling race goes from the coast to the capital — a total of 600 kilometres over three days.
Anthony completed an ultra-swim across the channel, staying in cold water for nearly fourteen hours.
The Comrades Marathon in South Africa, an 89-kilometre ultra-distance race since 1921, draws over 20,000 runners from around the world.
- extreme
used as a modifier (extreme marathon) but without the precise 'longer distance' meaning of ultra-
文法句型
ultra- + [noun related to running, cycling, or swimming]
用法筆記
This prefix sense overlaps with the noun sense 'ultra-marathon' (sense 3 of the noun entry). The difference: as a prefix, 'ultra-' can attach to any endurance sport noun (ultra-cycling, ultra-swim, ultra-running); the noun 'ultra' alone specifically refers to an ultra-marathon running event.
ultra — adjective
1. going far beyond what most people consider ordinary or socially acceptable, used
going far beyond what most people consider ordinary or socially acceptable, used mainly to describe artistic style, fashion, or entertainment — not used for political or religious views (which belong to the noun sense).
Some radio stations refused to play the band's new album, calling it too ultra for their mainstream listeners.
predicative use: 'is ultra'
The designer's runway show was so ultra that several fashion editors left before the final model walked out.
The manager told the comedian his set was too ultra for the all-ages crowd and asked him to soften it.
When Yuki showed her portfolio, one professor called her ceramic sculptures ultra — striking but too bold for a first exhibition.
- extreme
the standard, much more common adjective meaning virtually the same thing
- radical
suggests a departure from tradition, not necessarily extreme intensity
- outrageous
carries a stronger sense of shocking or offending others
- moderate
within reasonable limits; the opposite of ultra behaviour or opinions
文法句型
used as a predicative adjective in informal or subcultural contexts
用法筆記
This standalone adjective is rare in everyday English. It is almost never used in formal writing. Most speakers would use 'extreme' or 'ultra-' as a prefix instead. Here it appears mostly in subcultural reviews of music, fashion, or art.