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 These are gigantic structures compared to the size of the termites. Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 12 June 2025 Reid Neumann, the director of marketing for GPS Hospitality, handed Baker a gigantic check. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025 Joe gives El the location where Emery is going to seal a gigantic drug deal the next day. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 June 2025 We are stuck between a huge ocean and gigantic mountains, we are isolated, which has been a source for melancholy, poetry and our wealth of talent is vast. Annika Pham, Variety, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for gigantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gigantic
Adjective
  • Rich jewel tones and hues like indigo and terracotta can also make a huge impact, adding depth and contrast to your space.
    Kendall Bettle, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2025
  • Three seasons in, The Gilded Age has barely explored its huge cast of servant characters.
    Judy Berman, Time, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • The French American artist, who died in 2010, is best known for her giant sculptures of spiders, including a 20-foot-high bronze creation that sold for $32.8 million in 2023, setting a record-high price for a work by a female artist.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 June 2025
  • Once upon a time, the movie tells us, people flocked to see these giant creatures resurrected from old DNA.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Last week’s Senate Finance Committee draft bill acknowledges this reality and, in contrast to the House version, offers a pragmatic approach to phasing out the clean energy credits, recognizing that businesses signed contracts and made enormous capital decisions based on current law.
    John Ketchum, Fortune, 24 June 2025
  • The group wields enormous influence setting vaccine policy in the United States, including which vaccines will be covered by insurance.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Browsing Facebook for organizers of class reunions is an apt way to find a master node that can connect you to a vast network of people willing to talk.
    Brendan O’Meara June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • Maybe one day democracy really will bloom like wildflowers across the vast deserts of the Middle East, just as the neocons envisioned.
    Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Energy Prices The war between Israel and Iran had evoked fears of a regional conflict that results in massive civilian casualties, and disrupts the flow of energy and other trade through the region.
    Sara Braun, Fortune, 22 June 2025
  • SpaceX's massive Starship exploded in a spectacular fiery blaze during a routine engine test in Texas – raising questions about what's next for Elon Musk's spaceflight company.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • With the tremendous uncertainty in the economy, CEOs need to establish budgetary exit ramps that would be fast and easy to implement.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • Kling, who grew up in Kansas and turns 68 in October, has overseen a period of tremendous growth for the city.
    Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • While their native range spans from northern Australia to the Tamil Nadu coast, the Sundarbans play host to a particularly large population, providing plenty of opportunities to spot these colossal reptiles in the flesh.
    Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • That colossal production, which involved the construction of villages in which to film and the onscreen involvement of the host country’s armed forces, began as a lark and turned into an albatross.
    Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • And the Venus of Hohle Fels—the oldest undisputed depiction of a human being—was crafted out of mammoth ivory some 40,000 years ago.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025
  • Playing amid a heat wave in St. Louis, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz vomited on the field before returning to launch a mammoth go-ahead home run.
    Sam Settleman, New York Times, 22 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gigantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gigantic. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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