enormous 1 of 2

Definition of enormousnext

enormousness

2 of 2

noun

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
Adjective
Writing a proof in Lean requires an enormous amount of time and effort, but so far, the program has been used to verify more than 260,000 theorems. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026 For many centuries and probably longer, the seas and oceans of the world have been used as a source of food but also as an enormous dumping ground for all sorts of rubbish. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026 The labor organizers of the early twentieth century fought for the eight-hour workday when factory owners held enormous political power. Sharon McMahon, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026 Besides commercial success, Bollywood has enormous cultural clout, shaping social norms, defining pop cultures and creating stars revered not only India but in the diaspora worldwide. Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enormous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enormous
Adjective
  • Video from Chopper 2 shows the huge animal lying in the sand at the Queens beach Thursday.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • But, if the goal was to draw attention, the Weather Underground’s bombing campaign was a huge success.
    Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Something never done in a game of that magnitude!
    Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
  • In their view, the disruption is the visible price of long-overdue capital flowing into a part of the state that has rarely attracted projects of this magnitude.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    Francine Russo, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Despite standing at 6-foot-2 and playing a game more suited for a forward six inches taller, Payton entered Friday night having made 16 consecutive field goals, the vast majority of them being opportunistic dunks and layups off smart cuts and putbacks.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • After a catastrophic debris strike destroys their shuttle during a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock’s astronaut is left untethered, spinning silently against the vastness of space, while George Clooney’s veteran astronaut tries to guide her from a distance.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Even their vision of outer space seldom imparts the sense of a terrifying, unknowable vastness.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The research is already showing tremendous results.
    Etiido Uko March 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The ball went into Wallace-Johnson — second on the team with 19 points, while Ichima Idoko had 23 — but Hill played tremendous defense keeping the ball in the DeLaSalle backcourt before Chatman’s clinching steal in the final second.
    Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The immensity of joining the franchise meant that choosing a jersey number wasn’t something Durbin took lightly.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Shaboozey Shaboozey was in awe of the immensity of his RodeoHouston debut and mentioned it throughout the show.
    Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The first time the scorebug appeared, it was accompanied by a gigantic advertisement that significantly increased the amount of space the graphic took up and remained for the entire inning.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Grow the infrastructure at Stockton’s gigantic port.
    Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Like Phish or Taylor Swift or The Dead, 21P have created a universe for their fans that is a self-sustaining mechanism, even if the hugeness of it doesn’t always translate into huge chart success.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enormous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enormous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on enormous

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