Definition of giganticnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gigantic distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of gigantic are colossal, enormous, huge, immense, mammoth, and vast. While all these words mean "exceedingly large," gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When is colossal a more appropriate choice than gigantic?

The words colossal and gigantic can be used in similar contexts, but colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

How do enormous and immense relate to one another, in the sense of gigantic?

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 might huge be a better fit than gigantic?

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

incurred a huge debt

When could mammoth be used to replace gigantic?

While in some cases nearly identical to gigantic, mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

When can vast be used instead of gigantic?

In some situations, the words vast and gigantic 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 gigantic Phillips fits the archetype that the Red Sox have sought since Craig Breslow took over, namely gigantic physical specimens with the tools to handle big innings and big velocity. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025 His Valère wears seafoam blue and a gigantic turquoise hat, and glides onstage like a mid-century talk-show host, his voice at once booming and soothing. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025 Emily has brought Chekhov’s gigantic suede platform shoes to wear to work, despite Rome famously being covered in cobblestones. Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025 The film also shifts periodically to another non-human perspective – that of the gigantic observatories themselves as the donkeys clop, clop, clop their way around them. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gigantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gigantic
Adjective
  • At the center of all the glitzy havoc—her face often looming on a huge flat screen that rolls around the stage, following actors like a hulking LED stalker—is of course Chenoweth.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Todd also had a huge sack in the fourth quarter.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The cybersecurity landscape right now is rife with opportunity and anxiety, particularly for giant companies that are trying to find their way in a world with a rapidly expanding threat landscape that far surpasses just humans.
    Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Those giant snow piles in some parking lots won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but most of the snow is gone from your yard.
    Ron Smiley, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Sensory design has played an enormous role in developing this new identity for the bathroom, and the 2026 NKBA Bath Trends Report shows that numerous sensory trends are expected to continue gaining mainstream traction.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
  • By Christmas, the enormous mammal had done serious damage — turning on a gas line under the house —that forced Johnson to live without hot water.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Open my soul to the vast dark places.
    Gwen Faulkenberry, Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Both nations boast vast petroleum reserves and extensive mineral wealth, long positioning themselves as anti-imperialist adversaries of the US.
    Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • China has undertaken a massive expansion of sites linked to missile production since 2020, bolstering its ability to potentially deter the US military and assert its dominance in the region, a new CNN analysis of satellite images, maps and government notices reveals.
    Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • For Native people, the war marked a dangerous fork in the road, stirring famine, spurring a massive refugee crisis, and permanently shifting the balance of power in the heart of the continent.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Here currently in the United States backed by the courts, the legislative branch and the Justice Department, our president has acquired tremendous power.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
  • The light beam distance of 80 meters, or approximately 260 feet, provides a tremendous field of view from three different LEDs.
    Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Subtle dark patches on the lunar surface betray the presence of colossal basaltic plains, where lava flows coated vast swathes of Earth's natural satellite, before solidifying in the extreme environment of space.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 Jan. 2026
  • The wreck of a colossal oil barge is home to some of the bay's most stunning marine life.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The partnership between Wicked and the Olympics marks a full-circle moment, as both Erivo and Grande attended the Summer Games in 2024 as part of their mammoth press cycle for the first film.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Four batters later, Ohtani exited the mound after allowing Bichette’s mammoth three-run homer.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gigantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gigantic. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

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