enormous

adjective

i-ˈnȯr-məs How to pronounce enormous (audio)
Definition of enormousnext
as in huge
unusually large that pumpkin is so enormous that it has to be a record holder

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word enormous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of enormous are colossal, gigantic, huge, immense, mammoth, and vast. While all these words mean "exceedingly large," enormous and immense both suggest an exceeding of all ordinary bounds in size or amount or degree, but enormous often adds an implication of abnormality or monstrousness.

an enormous expense
an immense shopping mall

When would colossal be a good substitute for enormous?

While in some cases nearly identical to enormous, colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

Where would gigantic be a reasonable alternative to enormous?

The synonyms gigantic and enormous are sometimes interchangeable, but gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When could huge be used to replace enormous?

While the synonyms huge and enormous are close in meaning, huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

When might mammoth be a better fit than enormous?

Although the words mammoth and enormous have much in common, mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

When can vast be used instead of enormous?

In some situations, the words vast and enormous are roughly equivalent. However, vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enormous Throughout history, cities such as Rome have experienced enormous drops in population. —Camila Alvayay Torrejon, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025 Nine people are budgeted at DMS to oversee Florida’s enormous fleet. —Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025 Eviction also disrupts the enormous efforts of Maryland health care providers to help increase housing stability across the state, which ranks in the top 10 for housing unaffordability. —Rishi Manchanda, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2025 The member states share an enormous amount of classified information. —Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enormous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enormous
  1. huge
  2. vast
  3. tremendous
  4. gigantic
  5. massive
  6. giant
  7. immense
  8. colossal
Adjective
  • The huge showcase halls featured more than 6,000 exhibitors from around the world.
    — Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Photo : Miroslav Cik A huge terrace wraps around the house, providing lots of space for alfresco dining and relaxing.
    — Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • What to Do Sure, wine tasting and farm-to-table dining is why many travelers come to the Willamette Valley to begin with, but its vast beauty shouldn't be wasted.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The two lone wolves traverse a wasteland of vast canyons, derelict cityscapes and blazing oil fields, digitally rendered on blue screens.
    — J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of vast
Adjective
  • Of course, Cena vs. Rhodes sounds like a tremendous WrestleMania main event on paper, too, a bout that WWE fans would be easily invested in given how popular Cena and Rhodes have been at their peaks.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
  • This is a time of tremendous grief and pain for those who knew and loved him.
    — Caroline Frost, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of tremendous
Adjective
  • Acoustic Sounds occupies a hodgepodge of squat industrial buildings in Salina, a city of about 50,000 near the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states, where grain elevators and a gigantic frozen pizza plant jut out from the flat plains landscape.
    — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Some knobby with new growth, some short or gigantic, some suffering or shrunken, some reaching over paths and roads.
    — Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of gigantic
Adjective
  • Paying the high acquisition cost to get him would be a massive risk.
    — Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Additionally, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon each signed separate nuclear energy agreements late last year in anticipation of the massive energy demands of their AI plans.
    — Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of massive
Adjective
  • The pair re-teamed at the Academy Awards the following year for the broadcast’s introductory sketch, which featured Palance dragging a giant Oscar statue onstage, with Crystal (again the host) riding it.
    — Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • In a recent report on the giant theater chain Cinemark, the research firm MoffettNathanson started with a look at the continuing dismal state of theatrical exhibition.
    — David Bloom, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of giant
Adjective
  • And many of us, about 92 percent, have been trying to cope with immense dismay and stress since last November.
    — Essence, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
  • This immense utility makes their protection critical, as mismanagement or breaches can lead to catastrophic financial loss and eroded trust among clients and stakeholders.
    — Lior Lamesh, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of immense
Adjective
  • Today’s state-of-the-art LLMs, capable of generating text, writing codes and analyzing data, rely on colossal infrastructure for training, storage and inference.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • There is a mutual readiness to work to restore relations and gradually solve a colossal amount of systemic strategic problems in the global architecture.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of colossal

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Cite this Entry

“Enormous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enormous. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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