adjective

hypersonic

hy-per-SON-ik

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Hypersonic (adjective) means travelling at, or capable of, at least five times the speed of sound. Example: “The new missile is designed to reach hypersonic speeds within seconds of launch.”

adjective

aviation Travelling at, or capable of, at least five times the speed of sound.

"The new missile is designed to reach hypersonic speeds within seconds of launch."

"Engineers are testing a hypersonic aircraft that could cross oceans in under an hour."

"Very few vehicles built so far can sustain hypersonic flight for long."

aeronautics Relating to speeds so far above the speed of sound that they cause the surrounding air to behave differently, including chemical changes in the air itself.

"At hypersonic speeds, the air around the craft heats up enough to change chemically."

"Hypersonic flow behaves quite differently from ordinary supersonic flow."

How to use hypersonic

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHypersonic means extremely fast, at least five times the speed of sound.

When to use it

Hypersonic is a specialist term from aviation and defence writing rather than everyday speech.

Memory tip

Keep hypersonic and supersonic apart: supersonic just means faster than sound, hypersonic means much faster still.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

supersonic →

Common pairings

hypersonic speed hypersonic missile hypersonic flight hypersonic aircraft

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “hypersonic” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The new missile is designed to reach _____ speeds within seconds of launch.

Etymology

Hypersonic combines the prefix hyper-, meaning beyond or above, with sonic, relating to sound. It is a doublet of supersonic, meaning the two words ultimately share the same root elements.

Origin: English

Antonyms

subsonic

Related words

sonic supersonic

Rhymes for hypersonic

tonic ionic sonic ironic bionic iconic laconic Masonic chronic moronic demonic bubonic

See all rhymes for hypersonic →

Frequently asked questions

What does hypersonic mean?

Hypersonic describes speeds of at least five times the speed of sound, or the aircraft and weapons that can reach them.

Is hypersonic the same as supersonic?

No. Supersonic simply means faster than the speed of sound, while hypersonic refers to much higher speeds, at least five times as fast, where the air itself starts to behave differently.

Why is hypersonic speed hard to achieve?

At these speeds the air around a vehicle heats up and can undergo chemical changes, which makes hypersonic flight far more demanding to engineer than ordinary supersonic flight.

What is the meaning of hypersonic?

"hypersonic" (adjective) means travelling at, or capable of, at least five times the speed of sound.

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