pharaonic

adjective

phar·​a·​on·​ic ˌfer-ā-ˈä-nik 

often capitalized

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a pharaoh or the pharaohs

2

: enormous in size or magnitude

pharaonic construction projects

Synonyms

• vast
• gigantic
• enormous
• giant
• colossal
• huge
• massive
• mammoth
• tremendous
• astronomical
• monumental
• astronomic
• immense
• bumper
• titanic
• monster
• monstrous
• mountainous
• oceanic
• cosmic
• heroic
• mighty

Examples of pharaonic in a Sentence

the building of the Hoover Dam was a construction project of pharaonic proportions

Recent Examples on the Web

Near the end of his life, the king ordered an erasure of Hatshepsut’s pharaonic legacy: Her statues were broken and her name was removed from Egypt’s official list of kings. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025

The project, architectural historian Lucia Allais writes, parallels the pharaonic construction of the Aswan High Dam itself, where some 25,000 workers—including 800 Soviet engineers—labored for a decade to dam the mighty river. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025

Jérôme Galland Tourists looking to pair the pharaonic sites of Upper Egypt with a sail down the Nile will be spoiled for choice this year, thanks to a host of new riverboats that promise to raise the bar for five-star experiences along the iconic Luxor-Aswan circuit. —Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Nov. 2024

The six-story Grand Staircase with a view of the pyramids and an atrium containing monuments, pharaonic statues and sarcophagi opened in November. —Keir Simmons, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French pharaonique, from pharaon pharaoh, from Late Latin Pharaon-, Pharao

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pharaonic

• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic
• diachronic
• diatonic
• electronic
• embryonic
• excitonic