mammoth 1 of 2

Definition of mammothnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mammoth distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of mammoth are colossal, enormous, gigantic, huge, immense, and vast. While all these words mean "exceedingly large," mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

When might colossal be a better fit than mammoth?

Although the words colossal and mammoth have much in common, colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

How are the words enormous and immense related as synonyms of mammoth?

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 would gigantic be a good substitute for mammoth?

The words gigantic and mammoth can be used in similar contexts, but gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When can huge be used instead of mammoth?

In some situations, the words huge and mammoth are roughly equivalent. However, huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

Where would vast be a reasonable alternative to mammoth?

The meanings of vast and mammoth largely overlap; 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 mammoth
Adjective
Projectile points embedded in mammoth bones show that Upper Palaeolithic (about 50,000 to 12,000 years ago) hunter-gatherers did sometimes directly hunt mammoths. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 The company needs to be brought up to snuff, a mammoth registration statement laying all the intimate details of the business needs to be prepared and the questions of many, many would-be investors need to be answered. Evan Clark, Footwear News, 30 July 2026
Noun
For the next 49,000 years, the sticky pits captured virtually everything that fell or walked onto them, from grains of pollen borne by the wind to hapless ancient camels and Columbian mammoths. Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2026 When Colossal Biosciences raises capital at a $10 billion valuation, investors are not betting on the mammoth. Ethan Stone, USA Today, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mammoth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mammoth
Adjective
  • Musk was asked several times about the prospects for the gigantic Starship rocket that is key to SpaceX realizing his ambitions.
    Bernard Condon, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • While SpaceX's satellite internet division, Starlink, remains the company's key revenue driver, the group's gigantic AI capex spend is unnerving investors, helping to drag the stock price lower in Wednesday's session.
    Hugh Leask, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Musicians are dwarfed inside its massive ribs, as if performing from the belly of a whale.
    David Allen, Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Whiskey, salt pork, gunpowder, nails, flour, whale oil, molasses.
    Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Spaceship Earth is the iconic giant-golf-ball-looking attraction near the front entrance of the theme park.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
  • With an ecosystem as capricious as this, the local wildlife is born and bred to go with the flow—think gentle-but-giant humpback whales, colonies of industrious beavers, and torpedoing peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on Earth.
    Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Aegon’s presence is overshadowed by that of Sunfyre, who prowls onto the scene, more like a dinosaur than a dragon.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Best serving platters for dip under $35 From kids to adults, no one can decline chips and dips from this fun dinosaur serving set.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Videos circulating on social media, and geolocated by CNN, show a huge blaze raging and plumes of smoke rising from an area just outside the city, close to what appear to be the characteristic towers of an oil refinery.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The fight is huge for everyone involved, the network and promoters included.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At the same time, Bernadette makes her potion and turns into a 60-foot monster, destroying Pasadena.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Major oil and gas companies around the world posted monster second-quarter profits last week amid the Iran conflict's surge in crude prices.
    Garrett Downs, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The frankly enormous soaking tub in black-and-white tile and equally capacious steam shower share the room, though the toilet sits in a private water closet.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • That mind is a model, an enormous statistical object assembled by feeding it a quantity of text and images nobody has ever fully itemized.
    Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Hippos, which are herbivores, are the third-largest land animal after elephants and white rhinos and can weigh as much as 8,000 pounds.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Another farmer, Rymondy Mrosso, also questioned whether pesticides used by local farmers could explain the deaths and wondered why only elephants appeared to have been affected.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mammoth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mammoth. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on mammoth

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!