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

Many Americans have been fired or had their free-speech rights violated because of their statements about the war—and this has created a tremendous insurrectionary energy on both the far right and the left. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025

Energy has had a tremendous five-year run, but investors have been cautious in 2025 as uncertainty swirls around policymakers. —Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025

So the test screenings actually weren’t suggesting that people were having a tremendous amount of difficulty with that [story point]. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025

But an interview with Trump on 60 Minutes also presents tremendous risk for a news organization that has already been the focus of the president’s ire and is now trying to maintain its credibility without provoking him again. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 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