gigantic

adjective

gi·​gan·​tic jī-ˈgan-tik How to pronounce gigantic (audio)
jə-
: exceeding the usual or expected (as in size, force, or prominence)
gigantically adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for gigantic

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 gigantic in a Sentence

a raccoon got into the trash and now there's a gigantic mess in our backyard
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With back-to-back fights with Baragon and a gigantic octopus (who arrives with no explanation), Frankenstein’s kinship with King Kong – a simplistic empathy and wrestler-like physical prowess – has never felt clearer. Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025 As the trend gathered followers in every borough, the walls of New York City became a gigantic canvas on which the collective unconscious was projected. Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025 Breaking into the list only last month and ranking fourth was a gigantic, multi-generational home at 329 Albion Ave in Woodside, California, which sold for $85 million. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 The Athletic visited Mbeumo’s hometown of Avallon, with a population of just over 6,000, in what felt like the middle of nowhere, gigantic fields stretching for miles across the Burgundy region. Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gigantic

Word History

Etymology

Greek gigantikos, from gigant-, gigas giant

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gigantic was in 1630

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gigantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gigantic. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

gigantic

adjective
gi·​gan·​tic jī-ˈgant-ik How to pronounce gigantic (audio)
: being beyond the ordinary or expected (as in size, weight, or strength)

More from Merriam-Webster on gigantic

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