tremendous

tre·men·dous

adjective \tri-ˈmen-dəs\

Definition of TREMENDOUS

1

: being such as may excite trembling or arouse dread, awe, or terror

2

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>

— tre·men·dous·ly adverb

— tre·men·dous·ness noun

Examples of TREMENDOUS

1. He has a tremendous amount of energy.
2. The engine's power is tremendous.
3. She is a writer of tremendous talent.
4. We had a tremendous time.

Origin of TREMENDOUS

Latin tremendus, from gerundive of tremere

First Known Use: 1632

Related to TREMENDOUS

Synonyms

astronomical (also astronomic), Brobdingnagian, bumper, colossal, cosmic (also cosmical), cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, giant, gigantesque, gigantic, grand, herculean, heroic (also heroical), Himalayan, humongous (also humungous), immense, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), leviathan, mammoth, massive, mega, mighty, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, oceanic, pharaonic, planetary, prodigious, super, super-duper, supersize, supersized, titanic, huge, vast, vasty, walloping, whacking, whopping

Antonyms

bantam, bitty, diminutive, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little bitty, micro, microminiature, microscopic (also microscopical), midget, miniature, minuscule, minute, pocket, pygmy, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee

Related Words

big, bulky, considerable, extensive, good, goodly, great, gross, handsome, hefty, hulking, largish, major, outsize (also outsized), overgrown, oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), substantial, tidy, voluminous; august, formidable, grandiose, imposing, lofty, majestic; cavernous, monolithic, overwhelming, staggering, stupendous, towering; boundless, immeasurable, infinite

Near Antonyms

little, mini, petite, pint-size (or pint-sized), puny, small, smallish, undersized (also undersize); dinky, dwarfish, half-pint

See Synonym Discussion at monstrous

Rhymes with TREMENDOUS

horrendous, stupendous