Definition
in Superman fiction, a glowing green mineral that weakens him; used generally to mean someone's critical weakness or vulnerability.
Etymology
A science fiction neologism created for Superman comics in 1940, combining 'crypto' (hidden) and '-nite' (mineral suffix). It became so culturally powerful that the word entered everyday English to describe any fatal weakness.
Kelly Says
Kryptonite is one of the rare examples of a word invented for fiction that became a legitimate English word used outside of Superman—it's an example of how pop culture can reshape language, especially through metaphor.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ክርስቶንይት (Kristonit)
kri-s-to-nit
ARالعربية
كريبتونيت (Kriptonit)
kri-p-to-nit
BNবাংলা
ক্রিপ্টনাইট (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-na-it
CACatalà
criptoquita
kri-pto-ki-ta
CSČeština
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
DADansk
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
DEDeutsch
Kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
ELΕλληνικά
Κρυπτόνιο (Kryptonio)
kri-pto-nio
ESEspañol
criptonita
kri-p-to-ni-ta
FAفارسی
کریپتونیت (Kriptonit)
kri-p-to-nit
FISuomi
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
FRFrançais
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
GUGU
ક્રિપ્ટોનાઈટ (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-na-it
HAHA
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
HEעברית
קריפטוניט (Kriptinit)
kri-p-to-nit
HIहिन्दी
क्रिप्टोनाइट (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-na-it
HUMagyar
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
IDBahasa Indonesia
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
IGIG
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
ITItaliano
criptotonite
kri-pto-to-ni-te
JA日本語
クリプトンナイト (Kuriptonnaito)
ku-ri-pon-na-i-to
KKKK
криптонит (Kryptonit)
kri-p-to-nit
KMKM
ក្រីប្តូនាយត (Kreipto-nayat)
kri-p-to-na-yat
KO한국어
크립톤나이트 (Keuripeon-naite)
keu-ri-peon-na-i-te
MRMR
क्रिप्टोनाइट (Kriptonit)
kri-p-to-nit
MSBahasa Melayu
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
MYမြန်မာ
ကြပ်တန်နိုင်တ (Kyptonnaingda)
kri-p-to-naing-da
NLNederlands
kryptoniet
kri-p-to-niet
NONorsk
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
PAPA
ਕ੍ਰਿਪਟੋਨਾਈਟ (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-na-it
PLPolski
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
PTPortuguês
criptoquita
kri-pto-ki-ta
RORomână
criptoinit
kri-p-to-nit
RUРусский
криптонит (Kriptonit)
kri-pto-nit
SVSvenska
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
SWKiswahili
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
TAதமிழ்
கிரிப்டோனைட் (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-na-it
TEతెలుగు
క్రిప్టోనిట్ (Kriptonit)
kri-p-to-nit
THไทย
คริปโตไนท์ (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-night
TLTL
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
TRTürkçe
kryptonit
kri-p-to-nit
UKУкраїнська
криптоніт (Kryptonit)
kri-p-to-nit
URاردو
کریپٹونائٹ (Kriptonait)
kri-p-to-na-it
VITiếng Việt
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
YOYO
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit
ZH中文
氪 Kryptonite
ke kryptonite
ZUZU
kryptonite
kri-p-to-nit