tremendous

adjective

tre·​men·​dous tri-ˈmen-dəs How to pronounce tremendous (audio)
1
a
: notable by reason of extreme size, power, greatness, or excellence
tremendous problems
a writer of tremendous talent
often used as a generalized term of approval
had a tremendous time
b
: unusually large : huge
a tremendous number of people
2
: being such as may excite trembling or arouse dread, awe, or terror
tremendousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for tremendous

monstrous, prodigious, tremendous, stupendous mean extremely impressive.

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

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

tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

Examples of tremendous in a Sentence

He has a tremendous amount of energy. The engine's power is tremendous. She is a writer of tremendous talent. We had a tremendous time.
Recent Examples on the Web The hurdles — financial, logistical, political — are tremendous and remain as daunting as ever. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 But naturally, the item garnered a tremendous amount of press. Meredith Woerner, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Iran wields tremendous influence in Iraq, but that influence would be even stronger without U.S. forces to counterbalance it. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 And to feel all of the love and the support has been so tremendous. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 There was a tremendous amount of buzz about a band from Arizona called Gin Blossoms. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2024 The tremendous skills and logistics involved in outfitting a historical film should never be overlooked, but neither should the costume designers working to give those traditions a radical spin—nor those creating thoughtful costumes for contemporary stories. Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 The Fountain has long been one of the city’s most dynamic intimate theaters, and Sachs has led with tremendous integrity. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 It was spawned by the tremendous suffering Afro-Jamaicans experienced for centuries. John Blake, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tremendous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin tremendus, from gerundive of tremere

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tremendous was in 1632

Dictionary Entries Near tremendous

Cite this Entry

“Tremendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tremendous. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tremendous

adjective
tre·​men·​dous tri-ˈmen-dəs How to pronounce tremendous (audio)
1
: causing dread, awe, or terror : dreadful
2
: astonishing because of great size, excellence, or power
tremendous problems
a writer of tremendous talent
tremendously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tremendous

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