Think of a submarine, which goes under the sea, and a superhero, who rises above everyone. sub- means “under” and super- means “over” or “above.” Greek has a matching pair: hypo- (under, as in a hypodermic needle that goes under the skin) and hyper- (over, too much, as in hyperactive).
Key idea
sub- and hypo- = under, below (sub- also means secretly). super- and hyper- = over, above, beyond (hyper- often means too much).
sub- changes its last letter to match the root: suc- (succumb), sup- (suppress), sur- (surreptitious), sus- (sustain). The “secretly” sense comes from doing things from underneath, out of sight: surreptitious means snatched secretly.
The parts and their words
Words taken apart
| Word and meaning | Parts, and what they say |
|---|---|
| subside to become less strong; to sink lower | sub- under, down + sid settle, sit → “settle down” |
| suppress to put down by force; to keep from being seen | sup- under + press → “press under” |
| surreptitious done secretly to avoid notice | sur- secretly + rept snatched + -itious → “snatched secretly” |
| subterfuge trickery used to hide or escape something | subter beneath, secretly + fug flee → “escaping secretly” |
| superficial on the surface only; shallow | super above + fic face, surface + -ial → “on the surface” |
| superfluous more than is needed | super over + flu flow + -ous → “overflowing” |
| supercilious scornfully superior; looking down one’s nose | super above + cili eyelid + -ous → “with raised eyebrows” |
| hyperbole deliberate exaggeration for effect | hyper beyond + bol throw + -e → “a throwing beyond (going too far)” |
| hypothesis a proposed explanation to be tested | hypo under + thesis placing → “a placing under (an idea to build on)” |
Worked example: Use the parts
After the party, the hall was full of superfluous chairs that no one needed. What does superfluous mean?
- Take it apart: super (over) + flu (flow, as in fluid) + -ous (full of).
- Literally: “overflowing,” more than the container holds.
- The sentence fits: chairs no one needed.
Answer: More than is needed.
Meet the word
Common mistake
Missing sub- when it changes shape. suc-, sup-, sur- and sus- are all sub- in disguise (succumb, suppress, surreptitious, sustain). But not every sur- is sub-: in surplus and surfeit, sur- comes from French and means “over,” like super-.
A word with a story: supercilious comes from the Latin for eyebrow (super, above + cilium, eyelid). Picture someone raising one eyebrow and looking down on you: that is a supercilious look.