There are a number of prefixes you can employ with select adjectives, and sometimes nouns and verbs, in order to create a superlative. Following, we will cover two popular prefixes, highlighting some commonly used examples.
strafamoso → extremely famous
strafatto → overly ripe (fruits); really high or drunk (from the slang fatto)
stralunato → upset, distressed, agitated; dazed
stramaledetto → goddamned
strapagato → extremely well paid, overpaid
straricco → filthy rich
stravecchio → aged food and drink, specifically a longer aged parmesan and a type of brandy
strapotente → overwhelmingly powerful
strapotere → unchallenged and overwhelming power
strafare → to do more than is required or appropriate, to exaggerate, to overdo it
stramaledire → to curse violently
strapagare → to overpay
straparlare → to blabber, to jab, to talk too much in an over the top way, to divulge information
stravincere → to win easily, to have a landslide victory
arcinoto → well known
arcipopolare → extremely popular
arcistufo → really fed up, sick and tired
stra-
stracotto → overcooked; very much in love (jokingly). Also: beef pot roast which is cooked for a long time| Ieri sera siamo stati in quel nuovo ristorante italiano sul lungofiume, ma la pasta che ci hanno servito era stracotta.Last night we checked out that new Italian restaurant on the riverfront, but the pasta we were served was overcooked. Giorgio è innamorato stracotto di Manuela. Giorgio is madly in love with Manuela. Domenica mia madre vuole fare lo stracotto. Sunday my mother wants to make a pot roast. |
strafamoso → extremely famous
| La sorella di Nicola conduce un programma sportivo in TV. È strafamosa. Nicola’s sister hosts a sports show. She’s super famous. |
strafatto → overly ripe (fruits); really high or drunk (from the slang fatto)
| Ho tagliato l’anguria che abbiamo comprato questa mattina, ma era strafatta e ho dovuto buttarla via. I sliced up the watermelon we bought this morning, but it was too ripe and I had to throw it away. Non mi piace uscire con Beppe - è sempre strafatto entro mezzanotte. I don’t like going out with Beppe - he’s always super drunk by midnight. |
stralunato → upset, distressed, agitated; dazed
| Dopo l’incontro con sua sorella, Giuseppina sembrava stralunata. After the encounter with her sister, Giuseppina seemed upset. |
stramaledetto → goddamned
| Quello stramaledetto gatto ha pianto tutta la notte! That goddamned cat cried all night! |
strapagato → extremely well paid, overpaid
| Dopo le cinque del pomeriggio tutti i bar del quartiere finanziario pullulano di agenti di borsa strapagati. After 5 p.m. all bars in the financial district are packed with overpaid investment brokers. |
straricco → filthy rich
| Silvio Berlusconi è un uomo straricco. Silvio Berlusconi is a filthy rich man. |
stravecchio → aged food and drink, specifically a longer aged parmesan and a type of brandy
| Il parmigiano stravecchio che abbiamo comprato è costato un sacco di soldi. The stravecchio parmesan that we bought cost a ton of money. |
strapotente → overwhelmingly powerful
| Sua madre è una critica letteraria strapotente. Her mother is an overwhelmingly powerful literary critic. |
strapotere → unchallenged and overwhelming power
| Lo strapotere degli imperatori romani era ben noto nel mondo antico. The excessive power of Roman emperors was well known in the ancient world. |
strafare → to do more than is required or appropriate, to exaggerate, to overdo it
| Pensiamo di fare una bella festa, ma non vogliamo strafare. We are planning on having a nice reception, but we don’t want to overdo it. |
stramaledire → to curse violently
| L'ho sentito stramaledire il giorno in cui ha accettato quell'incarico. I heard him curse the day in which he accepted that position. |
strapagare → to overpay
| Molte persone pensano che i calciatori sono strapagati. Many people think that soccer players are overpaid. |
straparlare → to blabber, to jab, to talk too much in an over the top way, to divulge information
| Cerca di non straparlare stasera. Non voglio che tutti sappiano cosa è successo. Be careful not to blabber on tonight. I don’t want everyone to know what happened. |
stravincere → to win easily, to have a landslide victory
| Il candidato per il quale ho votato ha stravinto le elezioni presidenziali. The candidate for whom I voted had a landslide victory in the presidential elections. |
arci-
arcicontento → extremely happy| Teodoro si è trasferito a Roma e ora sembra arcicontento. Teodoro moved to Rome and he now seems extremely happy. |
arcinoto → well known
| Ho conosciuto un autore stimato ed arcinoto che forse hai sentito nominare. I met a respected and well known author that perhaps you’ve heard of. |
arcipopolare → extremely popular
| Frequenta solo i club arcipopolari. She only goes to extremely popular clubs. |
arcistufo → really fed up, sick and tired
| Ero arcistufa del suo comportamento e non volevo vederlo più. I was absolutely fed up with his behavior and I didn’t want to see him anymore. |