massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈma-siv 

1

: forming or consisting of a large mass:

a

: bulky

massive furniture

b

: weighty, heavy

massive walls

a massive volume

c

: impressively large or ponderous

stars more massive than the sun

d

: having no regular form but not necessarily lacking crystalline structure

massive sandstone

2

a

: large, solid, or heavy in structure

massive jaw

b

: large in scope or degree

the feeling of frustration, of being ineffectual, is massive

—David Halberstam

c(1)

: large in comparison to what is typical

a massive dose of penicillin

(2)

: being extensive and severe

massive hemorrhage

(3)

: imposing in excellence or grandeur

massive simplicity

the most massive American dramatist of his time

—Newsweek

3

: having mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c)

a massive boson

massively adverb

massiveness noun

Synonyms

• heavy
• hefty
• ponderous
• weighty

Examples of massive in a Sentence

The fort had massive walls.

stars more massive than the sun

A massive effort will be required to clean up the debris.

You can find a massive amount of information on the Internet.

The stunt received massive publicity.

a massive collection of baseball cards

Recent Examples on the Web

After massive fan turnout and hype throughout U2’s residency last fall followed by a special Grammy performance from the band this past February, The Sphere is getting ready to host rock jam band Phish for a four-night concert event. —Rudie Obias, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024

Earlier in his career, Pedersen joined fellow academics in opposing the plan for a massive Great Belt Bridge over the strait between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, a busy shipping channel. —Júlia Ledur, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024

No one captured the massive cultural and economic disparities of my life in Delhi (and his in Lahore) like Toor. —Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Here’s what a massive exodus is costing the United Methodist Church. —USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

Some California homeowners have been stung with massive increases in premiums — if not stripped of coverage altogether and forced onto the state’s last-resort FAIR Plan. —John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024

Shania Twain can relate to Taylor Swift's massive successes and busy touring schedule. —Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024

The game would later be rebooted into a massive trilogy. 2020: Final Fantasy 7 Remake releases on PlayStation 4. 2024: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game in the trilogy, releases for PS5. —Alyssa Mercante, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024

In addition, both days had massive collections of clouds swimming above, sometimes seeming as dense as stone. —Martin Weil, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English massiffe, from Anglo-French mascif, alteration of massiz, from Vulgar Latin *massicius, from Latin massa mass

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈmas-iv 

1

: weighty sense 1, heavy

massive walls

2

a

: large, solid, or heavy in structure

a massive jaw

b

: large in extent or degree

a massive effort

3

: having mass

massively adverb

massiveness noun

Medical Definition

massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈmas-iv 

1

: large in comparison to what is typical

—used especially of medical dosage or of an infectious agent

a massive dose of penicillin

2

: being extensive and severe

—used of a pathologic condition

a massive hemorrhage

a massive collapse of a lung