immense

adjective

im·mense | \ i-ˈmen(t)s

Definition of immense

1 : marked by greatness especially in size or degree especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement the immense universe

2 : supremely good

Other Words from immense Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about immense

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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

Did You Know?

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

The vegetation is quite thick and the disturbance to the habitat will be immense even for exploration purpose. — Mayank Aggarwal, Quartz India, "Tigers in a southern reserve are victims of India’s aggressive push towards nuclear energy," 15 July 2019 And as lawmakers turn their attention to how people’s data is managed, a central question arises: how much is consumer data worth, and should the companies benefitting from that information share the immense wealth our data has afforded them? — Hanna Kozlowska, Quartz, "How much is your data worth?," 8 July 2019 She should be celebrated for her part in all of that, which is immense. — Barry Svluga, courant.com, "Megan Rapinoe - unafraid to do it her way, on and off the field - is the best of sports in 2019," 8 July 2019 Above that, the international politics were immense. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "The Airplanes That Rescue Ebola Patients," 5 July 2019 The family’s donations to arts organizations are immense. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Museum Happenings: Protesters Stage a Die-In in NYC, and Students Accuse Staff of Racism in Boston," 25 June 2019 Current Texas City assistant James Soria said Robin Kirk's impact through the Texas high school football coaching community is immense. — Adam Coleman, Houston Chronicle, "Former St. Pius X player, coach Robin Kirk dies," 24 June 2019 The retail giant has faced criticism for not paying its workers enough, especially in light of Bezos' immense wealth—he's currently considered the richest person in the world, with a net worth of about $165 billion. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Amazon institutes $15 minimum wage for all US employees, including temps," 2 Oct. 2018 But Huawei also might just be too influential for the immense amount of pressure coming from the Trump administration to work. — Clare Duffy, CNN, "Huawei's place in the global tech ecosystem may make it too big to fail," 28 June 2019

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.