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
Other prehistoric examples of autapomorphic giantism include the extinct mega-ducks of Hawaii, as well as the dodo, which was essentially an enormous pigeon, said Dr. Worthy.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
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
Other prehistoric examples of autapomorphic giantism include the extinct mega-ducks of Hawaii, as well as the dodo, which was essentially an enormous pigeon, said Dr. Worthy.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
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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Flares of this magnitude are uncommon, the service added.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
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Recent data underscores the magnitude of the challenge.—
Masha Sedova,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Noun
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This dramatic transformation is among the most extreme cases of island gigantism in birds, likely unfolding in under two million years as the eagle adapted to New Zealand’s ecosystem.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
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The outlet added that he was diagnosed with gigantism, a medical condition that involves the overproduction of growth hormone.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The resulting Hubble Deep Field image revealed about 3,000 distant galaxies, offering humanity's first profound look into the universe's true immensity and revealing a cosmos teeming with galaxies, even at extreme distances.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The sheer immensity of the tent city is jaw-dropping, a hinterland oblivion of yurts and RVs, all stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see.—
Barrett Swanson,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Giantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/giantism. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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