superathlete

noun

su·​per·​ath·​lete ˌsü-pər-ˈath-ˌlēt How to pronounce superathlete (audio)
 nonstandard  -ˈa-thə-ˌlēt
plural superathletes
: an athlete of extraordinary skill or fitness : an elite athlete
To give TIME a sense of what it's like for these superathletes, Rusch took us through a typical grueling week of racing.Alice Park
The beauty of a marathon is that by rigorously following a training schedule, people of diverse physical abilities can run, jog and walk 26.2 miles without being a superathlete.Aliza Becker

Examples of superathlete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Two recent studies reveal how some of the superathletes and couch potatoes of the animal world, hummingbirds and cavefish, have adjusted the metabolic pathways in their muscles to efficiently break down sugar or store it to suit their unique ways of life. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'superathlete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of superathlete was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near superathlete

Cite this Entry

“Superathlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superathlete. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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