Definition of VASTNESS

Choose the Right Synonym for vast

Adjective

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

Examples of vast in a Sentence

Adjective 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 on the Web: Adjective Maybe someone with a van, and a vast inventory of exercise gear, is the next great billion-dollar business idea. — BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2021 Numbers associated with at least five journalists were added to the list, along with the numbers of at least 10 lawyers, at a time when Orban’s government was consolidating control over the country’s media and asserting vast powers over the courts. — Washington Post, 18 July 2021 But far fewer attempted to cross that year during the searing-hot summer months, when the journey across the Rio Grande or vast ranches is especially dangerous. — Arkansas Online, 17 July 2021 In a city that doesn't shy away for its vast assortment of adult entertainment, Usher's show got steamy at times, featuring dancers showing off their moves on stripper poles. — Mark Gray, PEOPLE.com, 17 July 2021 For many people, there’s something both calming and cathartic about perspiring in vast quantities. — Sarah Everts, WSJ, 17 July 2021 The idea of tapping into a vast catalogue of PC-only stalwarts without needing to be ball-and-chained to a desktop is a wonderfully enticing proposal. — Luke Winkie, Vulture, 16 July 2021 Across Lebanon's vast political divide, disagreements are plentiful but there is consensus on two apparent truths: that Lebanon's confessional power-sharing system is no longer tenable. — Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 16 July 2021 Website Balinese weaving and intricate textiles are displayed, rightfully, as art in this vast, open-air temple to artisanship in the heart of Ubud. — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Furthermore, it could be easily scaled up, thereby opening vasts swaths of the universe to observation without the hefty price tag associated with building large, solid telescopes. — Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, 11 June 2019 That is a more ticklish argument: the obstruction laws are complicated and the ambit of presidential power vast. — The Economist, 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, 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, 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, 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, 8 June 2017 Vast sums must be invested to build refineries and smelters to turn that ore into metal. — James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2017

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.

History and Etymology for vast

Adjective

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

Noun