supermassive

adjective

su·​per·​mas·​sive ˌsü-pər-ˈma-siv How to pronounce supermassive (audio)
: having a very large mass : extremely or extraordinarily massive
a supermassive black hole

Examples of supermassive in a Sentence

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Much like the lead apron that the technician taking your X-ray at the hospital wears to protect themselves from the radiation, dust and gas that gathers near a supermassive black hole can block gamma rays from ever reaching Earth. — Yjan Gordon, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026 Longies, which make up the majority of GRBs, are associated with collapsing supermassive stars, whereas shorties are linked to crashes between two neutron stars. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 These occur when an unfortunate star's orbit brings it too close to the immense gravitational influence of a supermassive black hole. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Some of the most cataclysmic events in the cosmos, such as mergers of supermassive black holes, should produce a very specific gravitational wave signature, according to general relativity. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supermassive

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supermassive was in 1937

Rhymes for supermassive

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Browse Nearby Words

supermasculine
supermassive
supermax
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Cite this Entry

“Supermassive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supermassive. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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