Definition of enormousnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word enormous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of enormous are colossal, gigantic, huge, immense, mammoth, and vast. While all these words 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

When would colossal be a good substitute for enormous?

While in some cases nearly identical to enormous, colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

Where would gigantic be a reasonable alternative to enormous?

The synonyms gigantic and enormous are sometimes interchangeable, but gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When could huge be used to replace enormous?

While the synonyms huge and enormous are close in meaning, huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

When might mammoth be a better fit than enormous?

Although the words mammoth and enormous have much in common, mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

When can vast be used instead of enormous?

In some situations, the words vast and enormous are roughly equivalent. However, vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

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 enormous The programs are vying for a diaspora that is potentially enormous, yet only 1,213 people received citizenship through the four initiatives from 2019 through 2026, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Pictures show the enormous white superyacht docked in the marina, towering over its surroundings. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 That is an enormous volume of borrowing outside crisis times. Matt Peterson, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 The cost of our avoidance of clozapine is invisible but enormous, measured in people who stay sick, and in lives that end early, for want of a drug already sitting on the shelf. Nitin Gogtay, STAT, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enormous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enormous
Adjective
  • The cast’s Blackness is a huge part of this — signifying is in their blood — but the impact spread across the whole franchise.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
  • That was a play with huge ramifications that, to some extent, still sticks with Williams.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Asked about their firm’s primary hurdle in managing the current trade landscape, the vast majority (57 percent) said policy uncertainty, like tariffs changing with little notice, as their foremost challenge.
    Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Grand Canyon’s vast, mile-deep landscape may appear timeless, but two devastating disasters have recently struck the iconic natural wonder as the climate crisis intensifies extreme weather.
    Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Decker had tremendous success at Old Dominion last season, and his quarterback Colton Joseph, now at Wisconsin, was the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.
    Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Her tremendous decision not to share every notification, though unseen by her children, quietly demonstrated her ability to move forward without asking permission from the past.
    Dr. Victor Fornari, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Steinem, who struggled with stage fright most of her life, talked with women at gigantic conferences and in intimate kaffeeklatsches.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But chaos ensues when Nick and Troy hijack one of those parade vehicles that just happens to be equipped with a gigantic nuclear bomb.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Then, the Iran war started, resulting in massive disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, once one of the world's busiest oil-shipping lanes.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Images of massive fires at oil refineries and warehouses showed up online despite restrictions on publication of content detailing the attacks.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Consequently, the giant planets can push them even closer to the sun or kick them out of the solar system entirely.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Unfortunately, the fantasy is interrupted by a giant monolith of a middling luxury condo building looming outside.
    Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Chinese leader Xi Jinping, by comparison, hasn’t just been building colossal scale in priority sectors — robotics, aerospace, green tech.
    Andy Browne, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The two bodies of water are nestled just north of an area where hundreds of people were killed by colossal landslides on the Nepal-China border on Wednesday.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Like every tennis player, Alcaraz relies on the wrist of his racket hand to generate the immense levels of speed and spin that make his shots so difficult to handle.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In their lawsuit, the city and county say the financial damage caused by climate change is immense.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enormous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enormous. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster