tremendous

adjective

tre·​men·​dous tri-ˈmen-dəs 

1

a

: notable by reason of extreme size, power, greatness, or excellence

tremendous problems

a writer of tremendous talent

—often used as a generalized term of approval

had a tremendous time

b

: unusually large : huge

a tremendous number of people

2

: being such as may excite trembling or arouse dread, awe, or terror

tremendousness noun

Synonyms

• huge
• enormous
• vast
• gigantic
• massive
• immense
• giant
• colossal
• astronomical
• monumental
• mammoth

Choose the Right Synonym for tremendous

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 tremendous in a Sentence

He has a tremendous amount of energy.

The engine's power is tremendous.

She is a writer of tremendous talent.

We had a tremendous time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tyrer should be on that list, along with former Chiefs greats Otis Taylor and Albert Lewis — each of whom also have tremendous cases of their own. —Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025

What a tremendous addition to the downtown and for that spot. —Terri Daxon, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025

Eliminating the need for manual adjustments—whether for meals or for any other changes during the day—would give people with diabetes a tremendous sense of freedom. —Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025

Much of this has been fueled by a tremendous amount of investment in AI infrastructure, which has driven significant capital formation. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin tremendus, from gerundive of tremere

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for tremendous

• horrendous
• stupendous
• rendus

Kids Definition

tremendous

adjective

tre·​men·​dous tri-ˈmen-dəs 

1

: causing dread, awe, or terror : dreadful

2

: astonishing because of great size, excellence, or power

tremendous problems

a writer of tremendous talent

tremendously adverb