estelar
/is.teˈlaʁ/
The English phrase 'stellar' can be translated to Portuguese as estelar.
The word estelar is an adjective used to describe something that is exceptional or wonderful.
Meaning: exceptional, wonderful (adj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal contexts, you can use Brilhante to mean brilliant, Excelente to mean excellent or Extraordinário to mean extraordinary to convey the sense of something being exceptional. For informal situations, Supimpa is an informal word meaning superb or excellent. In Brazilian Portuguese, the slang expression Show de bola can be used to mean something is amazing or fantastic.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the third syllable: /is.teˈlaʁ/.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, saying show alone is a common shorthand for something 'stellar' or 'great', regardless of whether a performance is happening.
- While estelar is the direct translation for 'stellar', using it to describe a person or a job might sound like you are talking about an astronomical event rather than their talent.
- Even though estelar comes from the Latin stēllāris, the Portuguese pronunciation shifts the stress heavily to the final syllable, unlike the English 'STEL-lar'.
Examples in context
- Torne-se um detetive do sistema solar e veja se consegue resolver os mistérios estelares neste diaporama antes de ler sobre como é que os cientistas o fizeram.Become a solar system detective and see if you can solve the stellar mysteries in this slideshow before reading how the scientists did it.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use estelar when discussing mysteries.Tatoeba #12061469 by Cangarejo, translation #12061468 by Cangarejo
- Ela teve uma atuação estelar no filme.She had a stellar performance in the movie.
Example conversation
Felipe and Beatriz are discussing a movie they just watched.
- FelipeO que você achou do filme, Beatriz?What did you think of the movie, Beatriz?
- BeatrizEu achei a atuação do protagonista estelar!I thought the lead actor's acting was stellar!
- FelipeConcordo, ele foi realmente incrível.I agree, he was truly amazing.
- BeatrizFoi a melhor parte de todo o filme.It was the best part of the whole movie.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry estelar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
