Meaning & use
supersize
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveinformal
To make a food portion much larger than the usual size, especially in fast-food restaurants.
Grammar: Can take an object (supersize your fries) or be used without one (Would you like to supersize?).
Patterns
- supersize something
- supersize a meal
- supersize for an extra dollar
For a dollar more, you can supersize your meal.
The chain stopped offering to supersize drinks after criticism from health groups.
He always supersizes his popcorn at the cinema.
verbtransitiveinformaldisapproving
To make something much larger in size, amount, or scale, often with a critical tone.
Grammar: Takes a direct object; often used about businesses, portions, or things that become too big.
Patterns
- supersize something
- supersized houses
- supersized portions
They supersized the whole operation, opening stores in every city.
Critics say we have supersized our homes and our cars beyond what we need.
Word forms
| third person singular | supersizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | supersized |
| past participle | supersized |
| -ing form | supersizing |
Common combinations
- supersize a meal
- Do you want to supersize that meal for an extra dollar?
- supersize your drink
- She supersized her drink and then couldn't finish it.
- supersized portion
- The supersized portion was enough for three people.
- supersize something for an extra charge
- You can supersize your fries for an extra charge.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enlarge
- Enlarge is neutral and can mean making anything bigger, including photos or text; supersize is informal and often suggests food or things that become too big.
- upsize
- Upsize is a business term meaning to make a company or operation bigger; supersize is more informal and often used about food portions.
Opposites
Word family
- supersized adjective
- Made much larger than usual, especially of food portions.
- supersizing noun
- The act of making something much larger, especially food portions.
Commonly confused: supersize or supersize?
supersize vs supersize
Not to be confused with 'supersede', which means to replace something. Supersize is about making something bigger.
Practice
At the burger restaurant, you can ______ your fries for an extra dollar.
Choose one answer.
Supersize means to make a portion larger and takes a direct object here. 'Supersede' means to replace and does not fit the context of making fries bigger.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “supersize”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.