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 While there has been an increase in new digital sites, the vast majority have been in urban or suburban areas, deepening the news crisis in rural areas. David Bauder, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025 Each, though, faces far more complications than Paramount, whose CEO, David Ellison, is backed by his father, Larry’s vast fortune. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025 Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Jay Cannon, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025 The vast majority of independents, 74%, said a third party is needed in the American political system. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vast
Adjective
  • The pitch clock has already gone a long way towards helping make baseball more accessible, but moving the first pitch back 25 minutes would still make a huge difference.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • My love for Stevie Wonder is enormous, and a lot of that comes from Joni’s love for Stevie Wonder.
    Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
  • That's an enormous gap, but what other team has a better claim as the league's 11th-best?
    Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With back-to-back fights with Baragon and a gigantic octopus (who arrives with no explanation), Frankenstein’s kinship with King Kong – a simplistic empathy and wrestler-like physical prowess – has never felt clearer.
    Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
  • As the trend gathered followers in every borough, the walls of New York City became a gigantic canvas on which the collective unconscious was projected.
    Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This is tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The jewels are of tremendous national worth and their value incalculable.
    News Desk, Artforum, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Jays capitalized on the Dodgers’ weak middle relief after chasing starter Blake Snell in the sixth inning to bust open a massive lead.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • How to Watch Boise State vs Nevada Boise State enters as a massive favorite, having only lost two games this year, while winning five.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The team already is contracted with oilfield services giant Halliburton, IPT Well Solutions, and Stampede Drilling.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The apartment was on the fourth floor of an immense nineteenth-century mansion.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • As a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems to hold and Gaza starts to emerge from war, the immense challenges facing the territory in its eventual recovery are becoming clear.
    Leila Fadel, NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But the glaciers don’t stop at the shoreline; instead, colossal floating plates of ice hundreds of meters thick extend over the sea.
    Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The Heart Nebula is a colossal star-forming region named for its resemblance to a cartoonish representation of the human heart.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vast. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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