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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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
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The pushback against casting white actors as characters that originally were Asian stems in part from what many Asian-American actors say is the dearth of significant parts in an industry where a vast majority of characters on-screen are white.
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But still: The vast damage from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey is occurring on national television just as the federal flood-insurance program is up for reauthorization.
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Both Europa, Jupiter's fourth-largest moon, and Enceladus, Saturn's sixth-largest moon, are worlds of icy crusts, and below these 5-to-10-mile-thick sheets of ice flow vast oceans that envelop the entire moons.
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As the storm approaches the coast, many are worried about the vast impacts of the hurricane beyond the scope of the storm itself.
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One reason why: Some areas where witness trees may reside, like battlefields, are vast.
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In addition to sending out the Broad Memo to about 1,200 subscribers (the vast majority of whom live in New York), the group holds free monthly trainings to teach members how to understand — and change — their system of government.
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Many a meme has surfaced in recent weeks to challenge the absurdity of Game of Thrones Season 7, from the pacing to its movement of characters across vast swaths of land in a short period of time.
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Indeed, to use just one example, the fact that the identity of many buyers in New York’s newest condominiums is cloaked by the use of shell companies is unhelpful to anyone claiming that these vast incoming sums are mostly clean money.
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
vast Synonyms
Synonyms
astronomical (also astronomic), Brobdingnagian, bumper, colossal, cosmic (also cosmical), cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, giant, gigantesque, gigantic, grand, herculean, heroic (also heroical), Himalayan, humongous (also humungous), immense, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), leviathan, mammoth, massive, mega, mighty, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, oceanic, pharaonic, planetary, prodigious, super, super-duper, supersize, supersized, titanic, tremendous, huge, vasty, walloping, whacking, whoppingAntonyms
bantam, bitty, diminutive, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little bitty, micro, microminiature, microscopic (also microscopical), midget, miniature, minuscule, minute, pocket, pygmy, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, weeRelated Words
big, bulky, considerable, extensive, good, goodly, great, gross, handsome, hefty, hulking, largish, major, outsize (also outsized), overgrown, oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), substantial, tidy, voluminous; august, formidable, grandiose, imposing, lofty, majestic; cavernous, monolithic, overwhelming, staggering, stupendous, towering; boundless, immeasurable, infiniteNear Antonyms
little, mini, petite, pint-size (or pint-sized), puny, small, smallish, undersized (also undersize); dinky, dwarfish, half-pintSynonym 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.
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- an enormous expense
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- an immense shopping mall
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- incurred a huge debt
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- the vast Russian steppes
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- a gigantic sports stadium
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- a colossal statue of Lincoln
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- a mammoth boulder
Recent Examples of vast from the Web
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Vast sums must be invested to build refineries and smelters to turn that ore into metal.
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
VAST Defined for English Language Learners
vast
play
adjective
Definition of vast for English Language Learners
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: very great in size, amount, or extent
VAST Defined for Kids
vast
play
adjective
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ˈvast
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Definition of vast for Students
:very great in size or amount
- vast stretches of land
- She has vast experience.
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vastly
adverb
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vastness
nounLearn More about vast
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See words that rhyme with vast Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vast Spanish Central: Translation of vast Nglish: Translation of vast for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of vast for Arabic speakers
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