as in magnitude
the quality or state of being very large
the American taste for giantism: big cars, big houses, big servings of food
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Recent Examples of giantism
Brontotheres, the ancient North American ancestors of the horse, is a giantism outlier as—growing from around 40 pounds to four to five tons in 16 million years.
—
Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 16 May 2023
In an especially mind-bending passage, Wengrow and Graeber show that the majority of Paleolithic tombs contained not grandees but individuals with physical anomalies including dwarfism, giantism, and spinal abnormalities.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 11 July 2022
The researchers think the parrot evolved this way because of a phenomenon known as autapomorphic giantism, in which a member of an otherwise moderately sized group becomes humongous by taking over an empty ecological niche.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
The extraordinary success of the giant three-ring circus gave rise to other forms of exportable American giantism, such as amusement parks, department stores, and shopping malls.
—Janet M. Davis, Smithsonian, 22 Mar. 2017
Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 16 May 2023
In an especially mind-bending passage, Wengrow and Graeber show that the majority of Paleolithic tombs contained not grandees but individuals with physical anomalies including dwarfism, giantism, and spinal abnormalities.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 11 July 2022
The researchers think the parrot evolved this way because of a phenomenon known as autapomorphic giantism, in which a member of an otherwise moderately sized group becomes humongous by taking over an empty ecological niche.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
The extraordinary success of the giant three-ring circus gave rise to other forms of exportable American giantism, such as amusement parks, department stores, and shopping malls.
—Janet M. Davis, Smithsonian, 22 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for giantism
Noun
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Eisenhower, in particular, felt the magnitude of D-day.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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But their data showed this substitution was concentrated in urban areas and didn’t fully account for the magnitude of the effects.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The unforgettable fight was part of 2018's Andre the Giant, which looked back at the life of the wrestler, whose size was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
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On one hand, her work includes deeply compassionate photographs of carnival performers, strippers, nudists, gender-nonconforming people, people with developmental disabilities, and people with both dwarfism and gigantism.—
Tony Bravo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These challenges are why solar sails aren't yet plying the vastness of space.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
31 May 2026
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Here’s a swashbuckling Zen space opera of irresistible vastness — a world large enough to colonize your imagination.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Fraser’s explosive performance underlines the immensity of the stakes, balancing every precarious element of this enormous mission.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
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After a day pondering the immensity of Tikal, the lake becomes more than scenery.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Giantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/giantism. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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