Synonym Chooser

How is the word tremendous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of tremendous are monstrous, prodigious, and stupendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

When might monstrous be a better fit than tremendous?

In some situations, the words monstrous and tremendous are roughly equivalent. However, monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

When is it sensible to use prodigious instead of tremendous?

The synonyms prodigious and tremendous are sometimes interchangeable, but prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

When is stupendous a more appropriate choice than tremendous?

Although the words stupendous and tremendous have much in common, stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

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 tremendous For Tyler and [Cade Gibson] to get us through five innings was tremendous. Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025 Although the Mustangs have room to grow, the victory is a tremendous sign ahead of a challenging district slate. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025 The Chiefs had a tremendous amount of trouble using their legs to move the ball. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025 Ostovar, a tremendous all-around player, was last season’s Orange County and CIF Southern Section Division 1 player of the year, and was Trinity League most valuable player. Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tremendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tremendous
Adjective
  • Congress had enacted byzantine eligibility requirements for disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits, forcing the agency to expend huge amounts of time and money running those programs.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Of course, there remains a huge barrier to entry for the San Jose Sharks sophomore.
    Chris Johnston, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • No liquor, no food, just an enormous outdoor patio teeming with Carolina Blue, popular bands, students, alumni and celebrities.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
  • One of the enormous elk lived in immense, rough country near Ennis, Montana.
    Jack Atcheson Sr. as told to Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The vast, sprawling Conjuring franchise, which began back in 2013, has spawned a complex web of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, some of which are loosely based on cases covered by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The vast majority of NCAA student-athletes want to earn their degree while playing ball.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across various terrains.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Large downward revisions to monthly jobs data in recent weeks put a gigantic spotlight on an incredibly typical procedure for economic data.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In short, the massive popularity of its original anime ‘80s run wasn’t matched by its merchandising, and that’s something that is now being belatedly addressed.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Musk has long said Starship’s sheer size and power could make brand-new types of missions possible, including carrying groups of humans to Mars and deploying massive new space telescopes.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Together, these guardrails create a foundational leadership operating system that enables leaders to carry immense responsibility without cracks showing in public.
    Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Gutierrez added the family was under immense strain, with Zaragoza's father, who is on dialysis, holding on to hope of seeing his son again, while his stepmother juggles caregiving and medical appointments.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The interior also worked well for the series’ trademark giant roundtable, and was able to accommodate the large cast.
    Carole Horst, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
  • For a long time, people simply followed the work of researchers in the 1970s — including Carl Sagan — who studied the worlds in our Solar System, and assumed such exo-atmospheres would have similar hazes to Saturn’s giant moon Titan.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The arrangement suggests that the region’s colossal elevation is supported not by one massive crustal slab, but by a complex, layered architecture.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
  • But for me the book was a colossal procrastination of not fully feeling the pain of the Russian invasion.
    Maria Reva September 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tremendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tremendous. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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