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The superlative of an adjective or adverb is a form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has some feature to a greater degree than anything it is being compared to in a given context.
For example, if Adam is 45, Bess is 35, and Chris is 25, Adam is the oldest of the three, because his age transcends those of Bess and Chris in one direction, while Chris is the youngest, because his age transcends those of Adam and Bess in the other direction.
If Dan, who is 50, and Edna, who is 20, join the group, Dan now becomes the oldest and Edna the youngest.
Add -er to one-syllable adjectives to form the comparative. Add -est to one-syllable adjectives to form the superlative.
If the adjective ends in -e, add -r or -st.
If the adjective ends in a consonant y, change y to i before you add -er or -est.
Exception: (shy shyer shyest)
If the adjective ends in a consonant-vowel-consonant combination (CVC), double the final consonant before adding -er or -est.
However, do not double the consonant in words ending in -w or -y.
| base form |
comparative form |
superlative form |
| cheap |
cheaper |
cheapest |
| bright |
brighter |
brightest |
| nice |
nicer |
nicest |
| pretty |
prettier |
prettiest |
| b i g |
bigger |
biggest |
| slow |
slower |
slowest |
| coy |
coyer |
coyest |
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