enormity

noun

i-ˈnȯr-mə-tē How to pronounce enormity (audio)
Definition of enormitynext
1
as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil the enormity of the crimes committed by the Nazis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in magnitude
the quality or state of being very large the enormity of the canyon can only be grasped by taking a trip through its entire length

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of enormity But as the enormity of the loss sank in, Strahan realized that sports and teams that people love would play a huge role in moving the country forward. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 Houston could soar within it because Parton imbued it with a musical and sentimental purity that made room for the enormity of her expressiveness. — Ann Powers, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026 But as the third and purportedly final chapter of the trilogy, a smart campaign will get awards voters focused on the enormity of the Dune endeavor as a whole, on par with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 Unlike other flagship devices that border on enormity, the 11 Pro fits cozily in my palm. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enormity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enormity
  1. badness
  2. magnitude
  3. sinfulness
  4. immensity
  5. atrocity
  6. vastness
  7. evilness
  8. hugeness
Noun
  • Leaping around in time, Gilroy draws us into Alex’s world with an effervescent wink at the badness of his behavior.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.
    — Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of badness
Noun
  • The magnitude of the recent decline also provides some perspective.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The 2027 event is the longest eclipse of the century on land, for sure — that's a claim that can't be challenged — but more importantly, a magnitude more people than in 2009 will experience its greatest duration of totality.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of magnitude
Noun
  • But soon after, in Genesis 18, God tells Abraham of plans to investigate reports of sinfulness in Sodom and Gomorrah.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
  • Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
Definition of sinfulness
Noun
  • Cape Ann’s distinctive, undulant geography combined pungent industry and village intensity with Atlantic immensity of sea and sky.
    — Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Romantic; something about the fearsome, post-human immensity of these spaces clearly inspired him.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of immensity
Noun
  • Many of the Russian journalists working in Ukraine at the start of the war, where atrocities wage on, now have criminal cases against them.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026
  • To Lose Their Citizenship Abraham noted during a Q&A at NYFF that much of the film overlaps with previous reporting and that atrocities in Gaza have been documented for years.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • The oceans’ vastness can feel ominous, and though scientists have studied what lurks beneath, so much remains unknown.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Various events bring together factions of a fashion industry that is acutely aware of the vastness of its environmental footprint and how little is being done to mitigate it.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of vastness
Noun
  • That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.
    — William Earl, Variety, 4 Oct. 2025
Definition of evilness
Noun
  • The script brilliantly lays that out to counteract some of the hugeness of her character.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026
  • Nowhere in the vestiges of what was once the sprawl of corporate hugeness known as The General Electric Company are there signs that Katharine Blodgett's laboratory notebooks still exist.
    — Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of hugeness

Browse Nearby Words

ennui
enormity
enormous
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Enormity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enormity. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abscond

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All