French word

surhumain

Pronunciation

IPA/syʁymɛ̃/

Meaning

  • adjectivesuperhuman

Example

Il a une force surhumaine.

He has superhuman strength.

Illustration for surhumain (superhuman)

More examples

Il a fourni un effort surhumain pour aider son frère.

He made a superhuman effort to help his brother.

Core concept

A human figure pushing past an ordinary physical or mental ceiling.

Common phrases

  • une force surhumaine

    superhuman strength

  • un effort surhumain

    superhuman effort

Similar words

incroyable: So astonishing that it seems difficult to believe.
extraordinaire: Exceptionally unusual or striking in nature or occurrence.
fantastique: Unreal in quality while inspiring strong admiration or wonder.
impressionnant: Making a strong impression and attracting attention.

Definition in French

Qualifie une force, une performance ou une aptitude dépassant nettement les capacités humaines normales.

Word origin

The adjective combines French sur-, from Latin super, with humain, from Latin humanus, forming the idea of going beyond the human.

Usage tips

  • Surhumain agrees with the noun: une force surhumaine, but un exploit surhumain.

Other meanings

  • extraordinaryadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word