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 production took place at MIT’s Bates Research and Engineering Center using a massive, room-sized industrial 3D printer capable of processing 80 pounds of material per hour. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026

For data center skeptics who point out massive energy and water demand that threaten to hike utility bills, subsidies just add salt to the wound. —Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026

The Heat also made the massive 2005 offseason deal with Memphis that delivered Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey, a deal that sparked the team’s run to the 2006 NBA title, a championship currently being commemorated by the Heat on its 20th anniversary. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2026

Now operating from the shadows in Colombia, Roper has been operating a massive arms-smuggling ring with the goal of rebuilding his empire and bankrolling a private guerrilla army to topple the local government. —Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 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