LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfirst conjugation

superō

superō (present infinitive superāre, perfect active superāvī, supine superātum)
Classical[ˈsʊ.pɛ.roː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsuː.pe.ro]
superāns pres. act. ptcp.№ 668 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to surmount, rise over, rise above, go over, ascend, overtop, mount
    superantque cacūmina nūbēs.and the peaks rise above the clouds.8 CE, Ovidius, Metamorphoses 1.: 317
  2. to go over, pass over, surpass, exceed, traverse
  3. to be superior, surpass, exceed, excel, outdo, outstrip, be in excess, have the upper hand
    Constat enim inter omnes nihil tam operose ab aliis esse perfectum, quod non horum elegantia commentariorum supereturIt is agreed amongst all that there are no works created by others with such great care that are not exceeded in elegance by the these commentariesAulus Hirtus, De Bello Gallico 8.0.4
  4. to be abundant, overflow
  5. to overcome, overpower, conquer, subdue
  6. to remain; to be left, left over, or left alone; to survive; to be safe, to be spared
    “‘Nōn prius aspiciēs ubi fessum aetāte parentem līqueris Anchīsēn; superet coniūnxne Creūsā, Ascaniusque puer?’” “‘First, why don't you see where you left your father, Anchises, weary with age? Does [your wife,] Creüsa, survive? And the child, Ascanius?’”(Venus reminds Aeneas to return to his own family.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 2.596–598

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

vincō, melior sum; hostēs superātī sunt.
superō -āre — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Vincere · Superare · Opprimere

1. Vincere (εἴκειν? or ἀγκὰς ἀναγκάζειν?) means, to drive an adversary from his place, like νικᾶν; superare to win a place from an adversary, like ὑπερβάλλεσθαι. The vincens has more to do with living objects, with enemies; the superans with inanimate objects, with difficulties. Tac. Ann. i. 25. Invictos et nullis casibus superabiles Romanos. 2. Evincere denotes especially the exertion and duration of the conflict; devincere, its consequence, and the completeness of the victory. 3. Vincere means to conquer by fighting; opprimere, without fighting, by merely appearing, in consequence of a surprisal, or of a decided superiority of forces. Cic. Mil. 11. Vi victa vis, vel potius oppressa virtute audacia est: and to the same purport, Muren. 15. Mithridatem L. Murena repressum magna ex parte, non oppressum reliquit. (iv. 278.)

Conjugation conjugation 1

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.superōsuperābamsuperābōsuperāvīsuperāveram
superāram
superāverō
superārō
2nd sg.superāssuperābāssuperābissuperāvistī
superāstī
superāverās
superārās
superāveris
superāris
3rd sg.superatsuperābatsuperābitsuperāvit
superāt
superāverat
superārat
superāverit
superārit
1st pl.superāmussuperābāmussuperābimussuperāvimus
superāmus
superāverāmus
superārāmus
superāverimus
superārimus
2nd pl.superātissuperābātissuperābitissuperāvistis
superāstis
superāverātis
superārātis
superāveritis
superāritis
3rd pl.superantsuperābantsuperābuntsuperāvērunt
superārunt, superāvēre
superāverant
superārant
superāverint
superārint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.superemsuperāremsuperāverim
superārim
superāvissem
superāssem
2nd sg.superēssuperārēssuperāverīs
superārīs
superāvissēs
superāssēs
3rd sg.superetsuperāretsuperāverit
superārit
superāvisset
superāsset
1st pl.superēmussuperārēmussuperāverīmus
superārīmus
superāvissēmus
superāssēmus
2nd pl.superētissuperārētissuperāverītis
superārītis
superāvissētis
superāssētis
3rd pl.superentsuperārentsuperāverint
superārint
superāvissent
superāssent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.superorsuperābarsuperābor
2nd sg.superāris
superāre
superābāris
superābāre
superāberis
superābere
3rd sg.superātursuperābātursuperābitur
1st pl.superāmursuperābāmursuperābimur
2nd pl.superāminīsuperābāminīsuperābiminī
3rd pl.superantursuperābantursuperābuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.superersuperārer
2nd sg.superēris
superēre
superārēris
superārēre
3rd sg.superētursuperārētur
1st pl.superēmursuperārēmur
2nd pl.superēminīsuperārēminī
3rd pl.superentursuperārentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.superāsuperāre
pres. 2nd pl.superātesuperāminī
fut. 2nd sg.superātōsuperātor
fut. 3rd sg.superātōsuperātor
fut. 2nd pl.superātōte—
fut. 3rd pl.superantōsuperantor
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivesuperāresuperārī
perfect infinitivesuperāvisse
superāsse
superātum esse
future infinitivesuperātūrum essesuperātum īrī
present participlesuperāns
superante, superantem, superantēs, superantī, superantia, superantibus, superantis, superantīs, superantium
—
perfect participle—superātus
superāta, superātā, superātae, superātam, superātārum, superātās, superātī, superātōrum, superātōs
future participlesuperātūrus
superātūra, superātūrā, superātūrae, superātūram, superātūrārum, superātūrās, superātūre, superātūrī, superātūrīs, superātūrō, superātūrōrum, superātūrōs, superātūrum
superandus
gerundsuperandī, superandō, superandumsupinesuperātum, superātū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

promunturium superare
to double a cape.
aqua pectus aequat, superat
the water is up to, is above, the chest.
superare insulam, promunturium
to double an island, cape.
proelio vinci, superari, inferiorem, victum discedere
to be defeated in fight, lose the battle.
superare Alpes, Pyrenaeum, Apenninum(both always in the sing.)
to cross the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines.

sŭpĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a.
I. [id.].
I. Neutr., to go over, to rise above, overtop, surmount.
A. Lit. (very rare; syn. transcendo): maximo saltu superabit gravidus armatis equus, surmounted, leaped the wall, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Trag. v. 97 Vahl.): sol superabat ex mari, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 41: ripis superat mihi atque abundat pectus laetitia meum, id. ib. 2, 1, 6: jugo superans, passing over the summit, Verg. A. 11, 514: superat agger ad auras, Stat. Th. 4, 458: (angues) superant capite et cervicibus altis, Verg. A. 2, 219. —
B. Trop. (freq. and class.).
1. To have the upper hand or superiority, to be superior, to overcome, surpass (syn. vinco): denique nostra superat manus, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 80: quā (sc. virtute) nostri milites facile superabant, Caes. B. G. 3, 14; 1, 40: numero militum, Liv. 29, 30, 8; cf.: numero hostis, virtute Romanus superat, id. 9, 32, 7: tantum superantibus malis, id. 3, 16, 4: sorte, id. 38, 36, 10: victor, superans animis, Verg. A. 5, 473: hostes equitatu superare, Nep. Ages. 3, 6: unde salo superant venti, Prop. 3, 5 (4, 4), 29: superat sententia Sabini, Caes. B. G. 5, 31: si superaverit morbus, Plin. Ep. 7, 1, 3.—
2. To exceed, be in excess, be superfluous; to be abundant, to abound (syn. supersum): in quo et deesse aliquam partem et superare mendosum est, Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 83: pecunia superabat? at egebas, id. Or. 67, 224: uter igitur est divitior? cui deest an cui superat? id. Par. 6, 3, 49: quis tolerare potest, illis divitias superare, nobis rem familiarem etiam ad necessaria deesse? Sall. C. 20, 11: cui quamquam virtus, gloria ... superabant, id. J. 64, 1: quae Jugurthae fesso superaverant, had been too much for, id. ib. 70, 2: de eo quod ipsis superat, Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42: Quinto delegabo, si quid aeri meo alieno superabit et emptionibus, id. Att. 13, 46, 3: superabat umor in arvis, Lucr. 5, 804: superante multitudine, Liv. 3, 5: cum otium superat, id. 3, 17: num tibi superat superbia? Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 86: gentis superant tibi laudes, Tib. 4, 1, 28: dum superat gregibus juventas, Verg. G. 3, 63: si superant fetus, id. ib. 1, 189: quam facile tunc sit omnia impedire et quam hoc Caesari superet, non te fallit, perh. how exceedingly easy it would have been, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 5, 3 dub.—
3. To be left over, to remain, survive (syn. supersum): quae superaverint animalia capta, immolant, Caes. B. G. 6, 17: quod superaret pecuniae, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 195: quae arma superabunt, Pompon. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, § 4; Plaut. Truc. 5, 49: nihil ex raptis commeatibus superabat, Liv. 22, 40, 8: pepulerunt jam paucos superantes, id. 22, 49, 5: si de quincunce remota est Uncia, quid superat? Hor. A. P. 328: sex superant versus, Prop. 4 (5), 2, 57. pars quae sola mei superabit corporis, ossa, Tib. 3, 2, 17; Plaut. Truc. prol. 20: superet modo Mantua nobis, Verg. E. 9, 27: uter eorum vitā superarit, whichever survives, Caes. B. G. 6, 19: quae superaverint animalia, id. ib. 6, 17: quid puer Ascanius? superatne et vescitur aurā? Verg. A. 3, 339: captae superavimus urbi, id. ib. 2, 643; Liv. 29, 7, 7: quid igitur superat, quod purgemus? id. 45, 24, 1.—
II. Act., to go or pass over, rise above; to mount, ascend; to surmount, overtop.
A. Lit.
1. In gen.: in altisono Caeli clipeo temo superat Stellas, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 73 Müll. (Vahl. Enn. p. 119, om. stellas): tempestas summas ripas fluminis superavit, Caes. B. C. 1, 48: ventosum aequor, Ov. Ib. 591: fluvium, Luc. 4, 150: mare, Sen. Oet. 128: pedibus salsas lacunas, Lucr. 3, 1031: munitiones, Liv. 5, 8, 10: quas (Alpes) nullā dum viā superatas, id. 5, 34, 6; 21, 26, 4; 21, 30, 5; 21, 38, 1; 23, 45, 3: Tauro monte superato, id. 35, 13, 4: montes, Verg. G. 3, 270: Alpes cursu, Luc. 1, 183: immensa montium juga, Plin. Pan. 81, 1: Caucasum, Curt. 7, 3, 22: hoc jugum, Verg. A. 6, 676: fossas, id. ib. 9, 314: summi fastigia tecti Ascensu, id. ib. 2, 303; cf.: caprae gravido superant vix ubere limen, id. G. 3, 317: retia saltu (vulpes), Ov. M. 7, 767: tantum itineris, to traverse, pass over, Tac. Agr. 33: regionem castrorum, to go past or beyond, Caes. B. C. 1, 69; cf. Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 43: insidias circa ipsum iter locatas, Liv. 2, 50, 6: collocatur in eo turris tabulatorum quae superaret fontis fastigium, but so as to overtop, command, Hirt. B. G. 8, 41: superat (Parnassus) cacumine nubes, Ov. M. 1, 317.—
2. In partic.
a. Naut. t. t., to sail by or past a place, a promontory, etc.; to double or weather a point, etc.; promontorium, Lucil. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 244; Auct. B. Afr. 62, 3; Liv. 26, 26, 1; 30, 25, 6; 31, 23, 3; Tac. A. 15, 46 et saep.: Euboeam, Nep. Them. 3, 3: cursu Isthmon, Ov. Tr. 1, 11, 5: intima Regna Liburnorum et fontem Timavi, Verg. A. 1, 244 Serv.— Poet., transf.: musarum scopulos, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 223 Vahl.).—
b. To rise above, exceed in height: ut alibi umbilico tenus aqua esset, alibi genua vix superaret, Liv. 36, 45, 9; cf.: posterior partes superat mensura priores, i. e. exceeds in size, Ov. M. 15, 378.—
B. Trop., to surpass, excel, exceed, outdo, outstrip in any quality, in value, etc.
1. In gen.: non potest quaestus consistere, si eum sumptus superat, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 74: ne sumptus fructum superet, Varr. R. R. 1, 53: qui omnes homines supero atque antideo cruciabilitatibus animi, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 3: virtute, laude, dignitate, Cic. Planc. 2, 6 sq.: aut ingenio aut fortunā aut dignitate superari, id. Lael. 3, 11: omnes homines constantiā et gravitate, id. Fam. 1, 9, 16: doctrinā Graecia nos et omni litterarum genere superabat, id. Tusc. 1, 1, 3: auctoritatis pondere et utilitatis ubertate, id. de Or. 1, 44, 195; Hirt. B. G. 8, prooem. § 4: aliquem nobilitate, Ov. P. 3, 2, 56: Phoebum superare canendo, Verg. E. 5, 9: omnes scelere, Liv. 29, 8: aliquem dignitate vitae, Nep. Alcib. 11, 2: aliquem ingenio, id. Dion, 4, 1: duritiā ferrum, Ov. H. 2, 137: vel cursu superare canem vel viribus aprum, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 51: omnes in ceteris artibus, Nep. Epam. 2, 2: summam spem civium incredibili virtute, Cic. Lael. 3, 11: non dubitabam, quin hanc epistulam multi nuntii, fama denique esset ipsa tua celeritate superatura, will outstrip, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1.—
2. In partic., in milit. lang., to overcome, subdue, conquer, vanquish (syn. debello): victis hostibus, quos nemo posse superari ratu'st, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 24: armatos ac victores, Caes. B. G. 1, 40: maximas nationes, id. ib. 3, 28; 2, 24: quos integros superavissent, id. B. C. 2, 5: bello superatos esse Arvernos et Rutenos a Q. Fabio Maximo, id. B. G. 1, 45: si Helvetios superaverint Romani, id. ib. 1, 17: Massilienses bis proelio navali superati, id. B. C. 2, 22: clam ferro incautum superat, Verg. A. 1, 350: bello superatus, Ov. M. 12, 364: Asiam bello, Nep. Ages. 4, 3: tota insula in unā urbe superata est, Flor. 2, 6.—
b. Transf., in gen.: quem (C. Curium) nemo ferro potuit superare nec auro, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 3, 3, 6 (Ann. v. 220 Vahl.): in quo (genere officii) etiam si multi mecum contendent, omnes facile superabo, Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 4: si erum videt superare amorem, Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 7: hanc (orationem) assidua ac diligens scriptura superabit, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150: si meam spem vis improborum fefellerit atque superaverit, id. Cat. 4, 11, 23: injurias fortunae facile veterum philosophorum praeceptis superabat, id. Fin. 4, 7, 17: pareatur necessitati, quam ne dii quidem superant, which even the gods are not above, not superior to, Liv. 9, 4, 16: casus omnes, Verg. A. 11, 244: superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est, id. ib. 5, 710: labores, id. ib. 3, 368: difficultates omnes, Vell. 2, 120, 4: cum incedendi nimietate jam superarer, Amm. 19, 8, 6.—Hence, sŭpĕrans, antis, P. a. *
A. Rising high, prominent, high, lofty: mons superantissimus, Sol. 2 med.—*
B. Prevailing, predominant: superantior ignis, Lucr. 5, 394.

Origins

From superus (“above”), from super (“above”), from Proto-Italic *super.

Elsewhere
  • Catalansuperar
  • Englishsuperate
  • Italiansuperare
  • Portuguesesuperar
  • Spanishsuperar
  • Friuliansuperâ
Balkano-Romance
  • Romaniansupăra
  • Romaniansupărare
  • Aromanianshupãr
  • Aromanianshupãrari
Italo-Romance
  • Italiansoprare
  • Italiansovrare
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalansobrar
  • Occitansobrar
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesesobrar
  • Spanishsobrar
  • Galiciansobrar
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Old Frenchsovrer

Quick answers

What does superō mean in Latin?
superō, a verb, means “to surmount, rise over, rise above, go over, ascend, overtop, mount; to go over, pass over, surpass, exceed, traverse; to be superior, surpass, exceed, excel, outdo, outstrip, be in excess, have the upper hand”.
What are the principal parts of superō?
superō, superāre, superāvī, superātum (first conjugation).
How do you pronounce superō?
In classical Latin, [ˈsʊ.pɛ.roː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsuː.pe.ro].