Definition of vastnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vast distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of vast are colossal, enormous, gigantic, huge, immense, and mammoth. While all these words mean "exceedingly large," vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

When might colossal be a better fit than vast?

The words colossal and vast 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 vast?

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

Where would gigantic be a reasonable alternative to vast?

Although the words gigantic and vast have much in common, gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

When could huge be used to replace vast?

The synonyms huge and vast are sometimes interchangeable, but huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

When would mammoth be a good substitute for vast?

The meanings of mammoth and vast largely overlap; however, mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

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 vast Although alcoholism is terrible and, in many places, widespread, the vast majority of people who drink are not considered to be addicts. Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026 The vast majority of cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, the World Health Organization said. ABC News, 23 July 2026 During training, the model ingests vast amounts of text and other data while an algorithm adjusts billions or trillions of numerical dials—the weights—until the system can predict and eventually generate humanlike content. Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 23 July 2026 That makes the voice technology accessible to software programmers, the AI power users who consume vast amounts of AI tokens in their jobs writing computer code and who are considered one of the most lucrative segments of the AI market. Emily Forlini, Fortune, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for vast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vast
Adjective
  • Their fans have provided the electricity of this tournament, travelling in huge numbers, turning Kansas City, Atlanta, Miami and Dallas into oceans of blue and white.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Notable quote There is a huge amount of animosity, every single day, thrown at trans kids.
    Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Adjective
  • Manchester, meanwhile, faced enormous challenges in its comeback, from high levels of poverty and unemployment to poor education and crumbling infrastructure.
    Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • This has enormous implications for how wars start, end, and are waged.
    Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026
Adjective
  • The two lakes, which are essentially one gigantic reservoir separated by the Grand Canyon, hold just under 60% of the total water currently stored in the basin.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Also seen is Edric’s sinister pod sliding silently into one of the gigantic Guild Heighliner starships.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 22 July 2026
Adjective
  • That kind of mass results in a tremendous gravitational force that pushes in on the sun’s core to the tune of over 500 billion pounds per square inch.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026
  • San Diego has devoted tremendous effort and resources to addressing homelessness, and many dedicated people work every day to help those in need.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
Adjective
  • Multiple people were injured Thursday after a Kenmore Air floatplane made an emergency landing off the Washington coast before catching fire, prompting a massive rescue operation, authorities said.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 24 July 2026
  • DeepSeek challenged the conventional wisdom that developing an advanced AI model requires massive financial investment and vast computing power, and offered competitive pricing.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • Balloons float above an exploding castle, a giant peeks from behind the bushes and wizards throw flames in the foreground.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2026
  • An interesting implication of the spillover effect is that the end customers of consumer electronics devices are now effectively competing against giant data centers.
    Srikanth Jagabathula, Fortune, 24 July 2026
Adjective
  • States are under immense pressure to update their eligibility systems on a tight schedule to adhere to requirements in the Republicans' sweeping 2025 tax and spending law.
    Rachana Pradhan, NPR, 20 July 2026
  • Perhaps the problem of art in the time of climate change is not that its subjects are too immense to be grasped.
    Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Adjective
  • The colossal billboards by the side of highways advertising legal representation.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • This week, Gracie Abrams pens a tearjerker on mother-daughter relationships, Steve Lacy escapes the abyss of a breakup on a colossal double track, and Beabadoobee contemplates risk and reward on a fuzzy new single.
    Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vast. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on vast

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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