Overtreffende

Overtreffende is a term used in Dutch grammar with two related senses. It is the present participle form of the verb overtreffen, meaning to surpass or exceed. As a participle it can function as an adjective, indicating something that is surpassing or exceeding in degree, and may modify a noun in a sentence such as in phrases like een overtreffende vergelijking (a surpassing/overarching comparison).

More prominently, overtreffende refers to the lexeme used in the phrase de overtreffende trap, which is the standard grammatical label for the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs. The superlative (overtreffende trap) expresses the highest degree of a property within a group, for example in phrases that denote “the most” or “the most of all.” In Dutch, the superlative is typically formed by suffixing -ste (-st after certain consonant endings) to the adjective or by using most with adverbs; the term overtreffende trap is used in linguistic descriptions to name this construction.

Usage and analysis conventions place overtreffende within the broader system of comparative forms, which also includes the vergrotende trap (the comparative). The overt treffende trap is a conceptual category rather than a common standalone word in ordinary conversation, primarily appearing in grammar discussions, dictionaries, and educational materials about Dutch syntax and morphology.

See also: vergrotende trap, adjectival inflection, Dutch grammar.