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 An enormous 25-foot x 9-foot screen occupies one entire wall, displaying my car in life-size 5k clarity. —Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025 When the master of timing departed our temporal world for a large and silent india-ink panel nine days shy of his 96th birthday, the cartoonist left behind an enormous body of work that still dances on the page. —Art Spiegelman, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025 An enormous shift in markets US stocks initially had a mixed start to the day after China announced significant retaliation and the European Union announced countermeasures against Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that had gone into effect earlier in the day. —John Towfighi, David Goldman and Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025 Those moves are truly enormous by bond market standards. —Felix Salmon, Axios, 9 Apr. 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
  • Last year saw a huge uptick in tornadoes later in the spring and activity continued through December, with nearly 2,000 tornado reports in total.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • More: Top Armed Services Republican and Democrat call for independent probe of Hegseth and Signal leak The retired lieutenant colonel said Hegseth appeared to have added real time updates from a secure Defense Department messaging system – a huge breach of security.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • Special content, tips, and tricks: Free digital access to the vast recipe archives of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, plus an in-depth video filmed in the test kitchen of one recipe from each box.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The vast majority of Slate employees join Apex, as do the 500-plus partner clients.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of vast
Adjective
  • Most teams have a tremendous amount at stake in the final week of the season.
    — Nick Crain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Head coach Geno Auriemma earned his 12th NCAA women's basketball championship Sunday, after an 82-58 rout over No. 1 seed South Carolina, a tremendous feat for his legendary career – the most of any men's or women's program in NCAA history.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of tremendous
Adjective
  • The bathroom could be closed off with sleek pivoting panels and came—like all suites—with a gigantic shower and round bath the size of a Jacuzzi tub.
    — Chris Schaklx, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The polar vortex is a gigantic, circular area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that typically spins over the North Pole (as its name suggests).
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of gigantic
Adjective
  • May is the first month where the adjustments are seeing massive swings.
    — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 10 Apr. 2025
  • There was a feeling that the country was coming out of a massive crisis and that global institutions had a responsibility to help rebuild the country, strengthen its healthcare system, and make sure an outbreak like this could never happen again.
    — The Dial, The Dial, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of massive
Adjective
  • Dire wolves mostly ate horses and bison, with occasional forays into giant sloths and baby mammoths.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Born in Okayama, Japan, Hattori began his racing career on the open-wheel circuits of his home country before taking a giant leap across the Pacific to chase his dreams in America.
    — Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of giant
Adjective
  • The victim’s representatives, likely with assistance from cybersecurity firms, pushed back against demands, arguing that the organization had already suffered immense financial losses and could not afford a ransom payment.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The dollar’s reserve status provides immense benefits to the United States, including lower interest rates on government debt and the power to impose hard-hitting sanctions.
    — Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of immense
Adjective
  • Tribe also added a fan zone to its band, allowing revelers to cool down under colossal fans, and a beer bus serving draft beer and plenty of laughs.
    — Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • One of the biggest moves came just this week, when Trump imposed a colossal set of new tariffs on America’s trading partners.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 2025.

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