vast

adjective \ ˈvast \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

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Examples: vast in a Sentence

Definition of vast

: very great in size, amount, degree, intensity, or especially in extent or range

vast knowledge

a vast expanse

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vastly

adverb

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vastness

play \ˈvas(t)-nəs\ noun

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See vast defined for kids

Examples of vast in a Sentence

She has a vast amount of knowledge on this subject.
The policy is supported by the vast majority of citizens.
a vast expanse of land

Recent Examples of vast from the Web

In Jordan, the vast majority of public schools do not offer music classes.

— taylor luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "In rediscovered reed flute, a soulful link to Jordanian identity," 13 July 2018
After all, oil and gas makes up the vast majority of the state’s revenue.

— kelsey brugger, Scientific American, "Alaska Wants to Fight Warming While Still Drilling for Oil," 12 July 2018
The question this begs is as follows: in practical terms, did England reallyoverachieve by simply making the semis, as the vast majority of media in the country and beyond seems keen to suggest?

— SI.com, "Why England's World Cup Campaign Wasn't the Heroic Overachievment the Hype Would Have You Believe," 12 July 2018
The vast majority of the precincts – 53 – are in Kane County, with three in Kendall.

— susan demar lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Will County to spend $72,400 to take over Aurora precincts," 12 July 2018
The vast majority of senior citizens who made aliyah in this 27-year period came from the former Soviet Union (82 percent).

— nadav shaham, Jewish Journal, "Report: Greater numbers of senior citizens are making aliyah," 12 July 2018
The remainder are still detained alone, the vast majority at the Port Isabel detention center near Brownsville.

— lomi kriel, San Antonio Express-News, "Half of migrants under 5 reunited with parents, though rest remain ‘ineligible’," 12 July 2018
According to recent data from the U.S. State Department, the number of male versus female adoptees from China has evened out, compared to a decade ago when the vast majority of adoptees from China were female (84.8 percent in 2007).

— NBC News, "Staying connected: Why these nine adoptees from China reunite annually," 11 July 2018
The vast majority of these increases have been in rear-end crashes, single-car crashes and crashes by drivers from 15 to 25-years-old.

— fiza pirani, ajc, "Driving in Atlanta is painful — but it’s far from the worst," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vast.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vast

borrowed from Latin vāstus or vastus "devoid of habitation, desolate, dreary," also, "of great size, immense," probably in part continuing Indo-European *h₁u̯eh₂-sto- (whence Old High German wuosti "empty, deserted," Old English wēste, Old Irish fás), in part conflated with another base *wast- of uncertain origin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1585

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

vast Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of vast

enormous, immense, huge, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth mean exceedingly large. enormous and immense both suggest an exceeding of all ordinary bounds in size or amount or degree, but enormous often adds an implication of abnormality or monstrousness.

- an enormous expense
- an immense shopping mall

huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

- incurred a huge debt

vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

- the vast Russian steppes

gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

- a gigantic sports stadium

colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

- a colossal statue of Lincoln

mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

- a mammoth boulder

vast

noun

Definition of vast

: a boundless space

the vast of heaven
—John Milton

Recent Examples of vast from the Web

That is a more ticklish argument: the obstruction laws are complicated and the ambit of presidential power vast.

— The Economist, "Donald Trump’s powers are not quite as vast as his lawyers claim," 7 June 2018
As a Cold War-era child who did drop-and-cover nuclear-attack drills under my desk, I’d been ingrained with ominous, gray images of Soviet military tanks rolling through the vast cobbled landmark.

— norma meyer, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Beauty, history, people make Russia trip memorable," 20 Sep. 2017
Near Potsdam, and a stone’s throw from the breathtaking gardens of Sanssouci Palace, lies Templiner See: Vast and choppy, there’s a seaside holiday vibe in the air.

— alexandra pereira, CNT, "Why Swimming Is the Ultimate Berlin Summer Pastime," 9 Aug. 2017
A clatter of gunshots suggested the worst The Brillante was built like two rectangles joined at a right angle: one vast, flat, hollow shape that held the liquid cargo, and one smaller, upright stack that contained mechanical systems and crew spaces.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Hijacking of the Brillante Virtuoso," 27 July 2017
Vast and growing databases compiled for commerce and policing are also for sale to politicians and their strategists, who can now know more about you than your spouse or parents.

— nina burleigh, Newsweek, "How Big Data Mines Personal Info to Craft Fake News and Manipulate Voters," 8 June 2017
Vast sums must be invested to build refineries and smelters to turn that ore into metal.

— james r. hagerty, WSJ, "Alcan CEO David Culver Bet on Aluminum and Quebec," 10 Mar. 2017