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 That’s because cutting-edge encryption shrouds information behind mathematical problems (such as factoring enormous numbers) that are conjectured to be unsolvable in any practical amount of time. —Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025 But the enormous turnout for the largely peaceful demonstrations appeared to stiffen their resolve. —Nik Popli, Time, 21 Oct. 2025 The events that unfold are compressed, both in time and in space, and the pressure is enormous. —Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025 From the moment Universal announced him as director, the expectations were enormous. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Oct. 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 pitch clock has already gone a long way towards helping make baseball more accessible, but moving the first pitch back 25 minutes would still make a huge difference.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • Trump on Sunday suggested Ukraine and Russia should freeze their bitter conflict along the current front lines, which would cede vast swathes of Ukrainian territory to Russia—which Kyiv has long refused to entertain.
    — Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The vast majority of the population was illiterate.
    — Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of vast
Adjective
  • This is tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan.
    — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The jewels are of tremendous national worth and their value incalculable.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 20 Oct. 2025
Definition of tremendous
Adjective
  • With back-to-back fights with Baragon and a gigantic octopus (who arrives with no explanation), Frankenstein’s kinship with King Kong – a simplistic empathy and wrestler-like physical prowess – has never felt clearer.
    — Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
  • As the trend gathered followers in every borough, the walls of New York City became a gigantic canvas on which the collective unconscious was projected.
    — Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Definition of gigantic
Adjective
  • The Jays capitalized on the Dodgers’ weak middle relief after chasing starter Blake Snell in the sixth inning to bust open a massive lead.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • How to Watch Boise State vs Nevada Boise State enters as a massive favorite, having only lost two games this year, while winning five.
    — Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of massive
Adjective
  • Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The team already is contracted with oilfield services giant Halliburton, IPT Well Solutions, and Stampede Drilling.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Definition of giant
Adjective
  • The coronal magnetic field is therefore constantly under immense strain, and when that strain becomes too great, its tangled magnetic field lines snap open.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The machines will run complex experiments that require an immense amount of data-crunching capacity, tackling problems ranging from nuclear power to cancer treatments, officials said Monday.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of immense
Adjective
  • For the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, magnetic storms, triggered by colossal solar explosions, repeatedly disrupted those networks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Just down the street from the colossal blue Scientology center (one of LA’s top locations for taking an ironic selfie) is Found Oyster, a delightful and perennially (pleasantly) crowded seafood restaurant inspired by clam shacks on the East Coast.
    — Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of colossal

Browse Nearby Words

enormity
enormous
enormously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enormous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enormous. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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