vast

adjective

ˈvast How to pronounce vast (audio)
Definition of vastnext
as in huge
unusually large a vast expanse of land just waiting to be settled

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vast distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of vast are colossal, enormous, gigantic, huge, immense, and mammoth. While all these words mean "exceedingly large," vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

When might colossal be a better fit than vast?

The words colossal and vast can be used in similar contexts, but colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

How do enormous and immense relate to one another, in the sense of vast?

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

Where would gigantic be a reasonable alternative to vast?

Although the words gigantic and vast have much in common, gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When could huge be used to replace vast?

The synonyms huge and vast are sometimes interchangeable, but huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

When would mammoth be a good substitute for vast?

The meanings of mammoth and vast largely overlap; however, mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

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 vast Electricity prices for industrial users ran at roughly half those for European competitors, and American households and businesses benefited from the United States’ vast energy resources. —Brian Deese, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2025 The move will ensure that the 94-year-old's vast corporate empire, which includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post, will retain its conservative identity after his death. —September 9, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025 As geologists were realizing that earthly timescales were vast, astronomers began to discover that the same applied to the distances of the cosmos. —Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025 An estimate based on Chinese government statistics found at least 55,000 to 110,000 were put under residential surveillance in the past decade, and vast numbers are restricted from travel in Xinjiang and Tibet. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vast
  1. huge
  2. enormous
  3. gigantic
  4. tremendous
  5. massive
  6. giant
  7. immense
  8. colossal
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
Definition of huge
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
Definition of enormous
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
Definition of gigantic
Adjective
  • Starting a business requires tremendous energy, passion and a clear vision.
    — Guy Peixoto, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Having entirely new avenues to chase down is tremendous.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of tremendous
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
Definition of massive
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
Definition of giant
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
Definition of immense
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
Definition of colossal

Browse Nearby Words

varying
vast
vastitude
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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