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Definition of monstrousnext
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monstrous

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adverb

chiefly dialect

Synonym Chooser

How is the word monstrous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of monstrous are prodigious, stupendous, and tremendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

In what contexts can prodigious take the place of monstrous?

In some situations, the words prodigious and monstrous are roughly equivalent. However, prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

Where would stupendous be a reasonable alternative to monstrous?

Although the words stupendous and monstrous have much in common, stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

When is it sensible to use tremendous instead of monstrous?

The words tremendous and monstrous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

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 monstrous
Adjective
Trout is also having a monstrous season at the plate, with 14 homers in 266 plate appearances in 2026. Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 Gilbert’s Christine is alive and curious, unearthing the heart inside her monstrous mentor. David John Chávez, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 She's seated across from Clark and three monstrous, human-adjacent creatures who do not move or speak. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 Then, just as Clark is preparing to untie Mary, the monstrous Lifeform that killed Kat and Bobby and has been haunting the Backrooms ducks through the door. Megan McCluskey, Time, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for monstrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monstrous
Adjective
  • Sensitive plants may show leaf curling, distorted growth, discoloration, or even die from exposure to very small amounts of herbicide.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
  • First, New Englanders have a distorted view and expectation for what spring truly is.
    Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
  • The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.
    Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Adjective
  • And if the interest expense on our gigantic and ballooning national debt of $39 trillion weren’t already running at nearly $1 trillion a year, bigger than Medicare spending and equaling two-thirds of Social Security outlays, the half-point upward shift would likely prove manageable.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 May 2026
  • Shah’s closest ally (and the person most willing to call Shah on his lies to himself and others) is his cousin Zulfi, a gigantic character who Khan energizes with fast-talking charm, sarcastic asides, and an assessing glare that can cut through anyone’s defenses.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • Lemieux was 37, and had a reputation as one of those players who knew where to be, and when, around the ugly areas on the ice in a playoff game.
    Mac Engel May 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
  • We, viewers and voters, are subjected to very ugly photographs and rhetoric.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Adverb
  • Canfield, as proven by her work in Stereophonic, is extremely able at playing a character with a pristine, almost porcelain surface and roiling depths.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2026
  • This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
Adjective
  • Not just their physical injuries, horrific in themselves.
    Susan Rona, Time, 1 June 2026
  • Accompanying the violence, both the Naxals and the security forces – including local militia raised to combat the rebels – have been accused of horrific human rights abuses, including abductions, torture and rape.
    Dhruv Tikekar, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • Ciber ’s team work quickly under netting to mount a huge Browning heavy machine gun onto tank tracks.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • The eighth-inning bomb was huge, too.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • Supposedly the poem was inspired by a peyote-vision where the edifice of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel was transformed into a hideous, twisted, demonic visage, which inspired the beating heart of Howl’s second section.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • This used to be a death knell—the shoes that fit the bill were hideous until a few years ago.
    Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 31 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Monstrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monstrous. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

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