stupendous

adjective

stu·​pen·​dous stu̇-ˈpen-dəs 

styu̇-

1

: causing astonishment or wonder : awesome, marvelous

2

: of amazing size or greatness : tremendous

stupendously adverb

stupendousness noun

Synonyms

• amazing
• astonishing
• astounding
• awesome
• awful
• eye-opening
• fabulous
• marvelous
• marvellous
• miraculous
• portentous
• prodigious
• staggering
• stunning
• sublime
• surprising
• wonderful
• wondrous

Choose the Right Synonym for stupendous

monstrous, prodigious, tremendous, stupendous mean extremely impressive.

monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

Examples of stupendous in a Sentence

a person with stupendous wealth

the stupendous engineering feats achieved by the ancient Romans

Recent Examples on the Web

There was also one stupendous line leading from it... —John Burek, PC Magazine, 19 May 2025

The stupendous tree trunk jutting up through the middle? —Anya Von Bremzen, AFAR Media, 8 May 2025

Not a single official responsible for this stupendous misadventure paid a price, which guarantees repetition. —Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 1 May 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin stupendus, gerundive of stupēre

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stupendous

• horrendous
• tremendous
• rendus

Kids Definition

stupendous

adjective

stu·​pen·​dous st(y)u̇-ˈpen-dəs 

: amazing especially because of great size or height

stupendous gorges

stupendously adverb

stupendousness noun