Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of tremendous are monstrous, prodigious, and stupendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

When might monstrous be a better fit than tremendous?

In some situations, the words monstrous and tremendous are roughly equivalent. However, 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

When is it sensible to use prodigious instead of tremendous?

The synonyms prodigious and tremendous are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When is stupendous a more appropriate choice than tremendous?

Although the words stupendous and tremendous 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

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 tremendous Several videos circulating on social networks clearly show the tremendous force of the downpours. Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 The Blazers, in my opinion, have a tremendous frontcourt of the future with Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 12 May 2025 While there have been tremendous advancements in the treatment of my disease, there is still no cure. David Armstrong, CNN Money, 10 May 2025 Simple sleep hygiene shifts can make a tremendous improvement. Sherri Gordon, Health, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tremendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tremendous
Adjective
  • Tesla sales have experienced a huge international decline, leaving room for competitors to gain momentum.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • My stockpile of research was huge in relation to that.
    Nia Shumake, Essence, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • From the rooftop balcony, views over dune to the sea, of the enormous windmills, and across to the port reveal its unimaginable scale.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Heisman winner Ingram led a ground-and-pound offense, while McClain and enormous defensive tackle Cody — who blocked a last-second field goal to survive Lane Kiffin-led Tennessee — became the faces of a defense that allowed just 11.7 points per game.
    Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • The High Plains also get plenty of love from Hill Country wineries—the Panhandle does, after all, produce the vast majority of the grapes grown in the state.
    Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2025
  • There are the vast arcs of the avenues, the great green slashes of parks and cemeteries, the jagged field of skyscrapers, steepled and spiked like iron filings pulled up toward the great magnet of the sky.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the spring of 2022, Russian forces trapped a large group of Ukrainians inside a gigantic steel factory called Azovstal, in southern Ukraine.
    Simon Shuster, Time, 16 May 2025
  • What all of these cases have in common is a truly gigantic deer, and then, sadly, lots of discord within the hunting community.
    Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • The massive undersea volcano reaches more than 3,600 feet above the seabed is located 300 miles offshore.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • But the rollout of a ban at such a massive scale has forced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enact informal entry processes that are already leading to backlogs.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • And the strain of being out in the air in those conditions is immense.
    Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 14 May 2025
  • In Gaza and in Israel, the expectations for the trip are immense.
    Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • Since 2013, two giant sculptures of soaring eagles with 50-foot wingspans—one of which carried the wizard Gandalf on its back—have welcomed travelers to New Zealand’s Wellington International Airport.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
  • Trying to wrestle the gun away from one another, the boys take shelter behind what appears to be a giant outdoor fan.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • This sudden flash of light accompanied by a colossal burst of subatomic particles is called a solar flare.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 1 May 2025
  • The scientists hope to eventually be able to capture an adult colossal squid on camera.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tremendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tremendous. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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