Definition of IMMENSE

Choose the Right Synonym for immense

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

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Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? "Immense" is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." "Immense" is also used, however, in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of "immense" as something which is so tremendously big that it has not or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin immensus, from "in-" ("un-") and "mensus," the past participle of "metiri" ("to measure").

Examples of immense in a Sentence

He inherited an immense fortune. She is an artist of immense talent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Her knowledge of gardening was immense and grew more with her love of reading and sharing gardening tips and plants with others. — courant.com, "Gloria Morcaldi McGeever," 24 June 2018 Yet Cole’s plush-but-gentle vocals stand apart from Porter’s immense-and-radiant baritone, their art linked more by the optimism of their message than the tonal quality of their instruments. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Gregory Porter sounds sumptuous with CSO," 12 June 2018 The sky is simply immense and there aren't enough words to describe the abundance and beauty of the stars. — Kellie Pollock, CNN, "'Weathered but wiser' — Around-the-world sailors learn hard lessons," 17 Apr. 2018 This is the face of immense, unfathomable grief, the face of longing, of heartbreak, of self inflicted GUILT. — Lindsey Murray, Good Housekeeping, "UPDATE: Woman Who Lost 7-Month-Old Son to Blanket Accident Speaks Out," 10 July 2017 The federal government has said that is deploying an immense amount of resources in order to comply. — Morgan Cook, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Demonstrators sing to sheltered migrant children in El Cajon," 7 July 2018 But the depths of the world’s oceans are immense, too, and the U.S. does not have a separate submarine force. — Michael O’hanlon, WSJ, "There’s No ‘Jungle Force.’ Who Needs a Space Force?," 27 June 2018 The immense amounts of personal data on a phone placed it beyond the exception’s scope. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "The Supreme Court Cares About Your Digital Privacy," 22 June 2018 People were singing 'Quiet' all over the world, from Ghana to Australia to Sweden, as a way to rise up, and that brought me immense pride and joy. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Going Viral Inspired MILCK's Powerful New Music Video For "Oh My My (What A Life)"," 14 June 2018

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