enormous

adjective

enor·​mous i-ˈnȯr-məs How to pronounce enormous (audio)
ē-
1
: marked by extraordinarily great size, number, or degree
especially : exceeding usual bounds or accepted notions
2
a
: exceedingly wicked : shocking
an enormous sin
b
archaic : abnormal, inordinate
enormousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

an enormous expense
an immense shopping mall

huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

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 on the Web Ariana Grande has had much to celebrate in the week since her new album Eternal Sunshine dropped March 8, including an enormous digital billboard from Spotify promoting the project in Times Square. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2024 While there is an enormous commercial market opportunity in commercial reusable hypersonics, the military advantage in flying faster has always been decisive. Sassie Duggleby, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 On Mother's Day, under enormous pressure, Kate posted a picture of herself and her children, said to be taken by Prince William earlier in the month, to her official Instagram account. Elle Turner, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024 The norms and traditions that Trump is intent on smashing are, once again, benefitting him. Consider the enormous buildup before, and wall-to-wall coverage of, Biden’s annual address to Congress. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024 The proliferation of cable television — and in particular Ted Turner’s $1.5 billion purchase of MGM in 1986, made to leverage its library entertainment assets for his cable channels — opened studio eyes to the enormous potential worth held in its vaults. Brent Simon, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 And the judge presiding over the enormous group of AFFF lawsuits has hundreds of other cases to get through that were not brought by water providers. Zoya Teirstein / Grist, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 However, there are enormous gaps in our knowledge of how the impacts of these risks are changing, and that’s largely because countries very rarely report this health impact data. Rob Reddick, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 Running Montgomery’s fire and rescue agency is an enormous job. Dan Morse, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enormous.' 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 enormis, from e, ex out of + norma rule

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler
The first known use of enormous was in 1531

Dictionary Entries Near enormous

Cite this Entry

“Enormous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enormous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

enormous

adjective
enor·​mous i-ˈnȯr-məs How to pronounce enormous (audio)
: extraordinarily great in size, number, or degree
enormously adverb
enormousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on enormous

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