as in magnitude
the quality or state of being very large
the American taste for giantism: big cars, big houses, big servings of food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
Adjusting for dividends increases the magnitude of overnight appreciation.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
Earlier this month, Volkswagen warned that first-quarter operating profit would likely come in at 2.8 billion euros, citing special effects in the magnitude of 1.1 billion euros.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Its role as an apex predator points to a complex food chain where the availability of large prey could have driven the evolution of gigantism in marine snakes.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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 14 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share