enormous

adjective enor·mous \ i-ˈnȯr-məs , ē- \

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: enormous in a Sentence

Definition of enormous

1 a archaic : abnormal, inordinate

b : exceedingly wicked : shocking

an enormous sin

2 : marked by extraordinarily great size, number, or degree; especially : exceeding usual bounds or accepted notions

—

enormously

adverb

—

enormousness

noun

See enormous defined for English-language learners

See enormous defined for kids

Examples of enormous in a Sentence

They live in an enormous house.
We chose not to undertake the project because of the enormous costs involved.

Recent Examples of enormous from the Web

My first checklist of this exhibition was enormous.

— kerry lengel, azcentral, "How the Phoenix Art Museum acquired Frida Kahlo’s 'Suicide' painting," 13 July 2018
The skin cells that thrive under trauma are triggered to overproduce, which is why the keloids can grow to be enormous, as with Amber's ears.

— refinery29.com, "The First Episode Of Dr. Pimple Popper Is A Popaholic's Dream Come True," 12 July 2018
The stakes are enormous, and advocacy groups that don’t have to unveil their donors are spending heavily to shape the fight.

— kevin freking, The Seattle Times, "What to expect in the Supreme Court confirmation battle," 9 July 2018
Many have applauded the enormous economic change these acquisitions are helping to drive in London and Cambridge.

— New York Times, "Silicon Valley’s Giants Take Their Talent Hunt to Cambridge," 3 July 2018
The fallout from that privacy scandal has been enormous – but how does Google's breach compare?

— CBS News, "Google reportedly allows apps to scan some people's Gmail inboxes," 3 July 2018
The volume will be enormous — 111 million metric tons of plastic waste will accumulate by 2030, with 37 million metric tons of that here in the U.S., according to a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia.

— author: david goldstein, Anchorage Daily News, "Cities scramble to rewrite rules on recycling after China restricts ‘foreign garbage’," 3 July 2018
Our hopes had been raised then crushed so many times, and the financial toll had been enormous.

— elizabeth katkin, Marie Claire, "It Took 7 Miscarriages, 10 IVF cycles, 9 Years, and Nearly $200,000 to Solve My Fertility Issues," 15 June 2018
The Times Square Sephora is enormous, but this one might just give it a run for its money.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "CoverGirl Will Open Its First Store in Times Square," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enormous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of enormous

Latin enormis, from e, ex out of + norma rule

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1531

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

enormous Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of enormous

enormous, immense, huge, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth mean exceedingly large. enormous and immense both suggest an exceeding of all ordinary bounds in size or amount or degree, but enormous often adds an implication of abnormality or monstrousness.