stupendous

adjective

stu·​pen·​dous stu̇-ˈpen-dəs 

styu̇-

1

: causing astonishment or wonder : awesome, marvelous

2

: of amazing size or greatness : tremendous

stupendously adverb

stupendousness noun

Synonyms

• amazing
• astonishing
• astounding
• awesome
• awful
• eye-opening
• fabulous
• marvelous
• marvellous
• miraculous
• portentous
• prodigious
• staggering
• stunning
• sublime
• surprising
• wonderful
• wondrous

Choose the Right Synonym for stupendous

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 stupendous in a Sentence

a person with stupendous wealth

the stupendous engineering feats achieved by the ancient Romans

Recent Examples on the Web

For most of his career, however, Mr. Stella rode a wave of adulation and stupendous commercial success, buoyed by dozens of one-man shows and retrospectives at museums around the world. —William Grimes, New York Times, 4 May 2024

Despite the broader decline in TV commissioning and financing, Porter, and her Trilogy Films outfit have had a stupendous year. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin stupendus, gerundive of stupēre

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stupendous

adjective

stu·​pen·​dous st(y)u̇-ˈpen-dəs 

: amazing especially because of great size or height

stupendous gorges

stupendously adverb

stupendousness noun