elephantine

adjective

el·​e·​phan·​tine ˌe-lə-ˈfan-ˌtēn 

-ˌtīn, 

ˈe-lə-fən-

1

a

: having enormous size or strength : massive

b

: clumsy, ponderous

elephantine verse

2

: of or relating to an elephant

Synonyms of elephantine

• gigantic
• giant
• vast
• enormous
• huge
• colossal
• massive
• mammoth
• tremendous
• immense
• monumental
• astronomical
• titanic
• bumper
• monstrous
• monster
• mountainous

Examples of elephantine in a Sentence

He has an elephantine ego.

the wedding reception was held under an elephantine tent on the great lawn

Recent Examples on the Web

Queen Kapiolani, Hawaii’s queen from 1874 to 1891, died on the land that became the site of the elephantine indoor/outdoor Hyatt Regency resort in Waikīkī, where Kumukahi was the cultural ambassador for a decade. —Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025

Eclectic traditionalism, remade on an elephantine scale, is the style of totalitarianism. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025

Scientists now know that birds’ brains can contain elephantine powers of recollection. —Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024

Those boxy fender extensions are open in the rear to channel dirty air coming off the wheels, while a carbon-composite front splitter and an elephantine carbon-fiber rear wing glue the Corolla to the road. —Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 1 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for elephantine

• acetylene
• adenosine
• amphetamine
• anthropocene
• antipyrine
• apomorphine
• apoprotein
• aquamarine
• arsphenamine
• azobenzene
• buprenorphine
• chlorobenzene

Kids Definition

elephantine

adjective

el·​e·​phan·​tine ˌel-ə-ˈfan-ˌtēn 

-ˌtīn, 

ˈel-ə-fən-

1

a

: very big : huge, massive

b

: lacking grace

2

: of or relating to an elephant

Geographical Definition

Elephantine

geographical name

El·​e·​phan·​ti·​ne ˌe-lə-ˌfan-ˈtī-nē 

-fən-, 

-ˈtē-

island in the Nile River opposite Aswân in southern Egypt population 1814