massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈma-siv 

1

: forming or consisting of a large mass:

a

: bulky

massive furniture

b

: weighty, heavy

massive walls

a massive volume

c

: impressively large or ponderous

stars more massive than the sun

d

: having no regular form but not necessarily lacking crystalline structure

massive sandstone

2

a

: large, solid, or heavy in structure

massive jaw

b

: large in scope or degree

… the feeling of frustration, of being ineffectual, is massive.

—David Halberstam

c(1)

: large in comparison to what is typical

a massive dose of penicillin

(2)

: being extensive and severe

massive hemorrhage

(3)

: imposing in excellence or grandeur

massive simplicity

the most massive American dramatist of his time

—Newsweek

3

: having mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c)

a massive boson

massively adverb

massiveness noun

Synonyms of massive

• heavy
• hefty

Examples of massive in a Sentence

The fort had massive walls.

stars more massive than the sun

A massive effort will be required to clean up the debris.

You can find a massive amount of information on the Internet.

The stunt received massive publicity.

a massive collection of baseball cards

Recent Examples on the Web

The local media business has seen major changes in recent years with the massive growth in social media, YouTube, Spotify and TikTok as competition for eyeballs. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 21 July 2026

When electricity arrived in the late 19th century, factories ran on steam—one massive engine in the basement turning a central shaft, with belts carrying power to every machine. — Srini Attili, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The pair were all smiles as Yamal picked up Keyne and gave him a massive hug. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026

We’ve long been obsessed with desserts like the Custard Pie or the massive 4-pound Lemon Pie that Costco debuted earlier this year. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English massiffe, from Anglo-French mascif, alteration of massiz, from Vulgar Latin *massicius, from Latin massa mass

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for massive

• passive
• impassive

Kids Definition

massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈmas-iv 

1

: weighty sense 1, heavy

massive walls

2

a

: large, solid, or heavy in structure

a massive jaw

b

: large in extent or degree

a massive effort

3

: having mass

massively adverb

massiveness noun

Medical Definition

massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈmas-iv 

1

: large in comparison to what is typical

—used especially of medical dosage or of an infectious agent

a massive dose of penicillin

2

: being extensive and severe

—used of a pathologic condition

a massive hemorrhage

a massive collapse of a lung