immense

adjective

im·​mense i-ˈmen(t)s 

1

: marked by greatness especially in size or degree

especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement

the immense universe

2

: supremely good

immenseness noun

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 for something which is so tremendously big that it has not been 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").

Synonyms

• astronomical
• astronomic
• Brobdingnagian
• bumper
• colossal
• cosmic
• cosmical
• cyclopean
• elephantine
• enormous
• galactic
• gargantuan
• giant
• gigantesque
• gigantic
• grand
• herculean
• heroic
• heroical
• Himalayan
• huge
• humongous
• humungous
• jumbo
• king-size
• king-sized
• leviathan
• mammoth
• massive
• mega
• mighty
• monster
• monstrous
• monumental
• mountainous
• oceanic
• pharaonic
• planetary
• prodigious
• super
• super-duper
• supersize
• supersized
• titanic
• tremendous
• vast
• vasty
• walloping
• whacking
• whopping

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

Examples of immense in a Sentence

He inherited an immense fortune.

She is an artist of immense talent.

Recent Examples on the Web

While training and protections likely could not have prevented the deaths of the workers on the Baltimore bridge, Quintero said the tragedy was a reminder of the immense risk some migrant construction workers take every single day, heading out to perform dangerous but essential jobs. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

It has been widely speculated that the cash infusion from Truth Social could help Trump pay off his immense pile of legal bills. —Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024

Over eons, the softer sedimentary rocks around the immense bulge of hard stone washed away. —Mark Jenkins, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

Nevertheless, there were roughly eight hundred rangers responsible for all of Brazil’s regions, including not just the Amazon but also the Pantanal wetlands and the immense Atlantic coastline. —Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

Several, however, cited the deadly terrorist bombings in Beirut in 1983 and during the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021 as examples of the immense difficulty protecting U.S. service members during extended stays in vulnerable conditions. —Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024

But the immense margin and style of the win certainly was. —Guy Martin, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

Crews on Friday are anticipated to continue assessing the immense wreckage in the Patapsco River before being able to clear the fast-moving waterway following the collapse of a major Baltimore bridge earlier this week that killed six people and shut down a vital shipping port, authorities said. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024

This groundbreaking approach to digital property rights has not only revolutionized the art world but also holds immense potential to reshape various industries, underlining the multifaceted significance of NFTs in our increasingly digital lives. —Kyle Russell, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin immensus immeasurable, from in- + mensus, past participle of metiri to measure — more at measure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

immense

adjective

im·​mense im-ˈen(t)s 

: very great in size or amount

especially : not capable of being measured by ordinary means

the immense universe

immensely adverb

immenseness noun

Etymology

from early French immense "immense, huge," from Latin immensus "boundless, too great to be measured," from im-, in- "not" and mensus, past participle of metiri "to measure" — related to dimension, measure