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 This is a serious problem for bears and other species dependent on crossing vast areas to survive. Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025 What was the impact of the vast array of electronics in our newsrooms? Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025 Numerous mountain ranges are also on display, including the vast arc of Montes Apenninus above the lunar equator and Montes Jura further to the north. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025 For as long as 55-year-old Hopi Chairman Tim Nuvangyaoma has been alive, high-voltage power lines have cut across Hopi lands in northeast Arizona, carrying vast amounts of power long distances throughout the Southwest. Nate Perez, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vast
Adjective
  • More pertinently, if Iroegbunam or Gueye tired or did not screen passes correctly (shown below), Rogers and Emiliano Buendia had huge spaces to receive and turn, owing to Everton’s deep centre-backs refusing to step out.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Mason had a huge game against the Bengals in Week 3, racking up 116 yards and two touchdowns on two carries.
    Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum has an enormous (22 feet by 100 feet) model railroad built in a picturesque Western North Carolina landscape.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Thanks to Google’s enormous war chest, Waymo has had the luxury to spend 16 years raking in data to create more precise self-driving cars, all with the hope of an eventual payoff.
    Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The vortex is a gigantic, circular area of cold air high up in the atmosphere that typically spins over the North Pole (as its name suggests).
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Streaming the first Avatar sequel on Disney+ just doesn’t compare to watching Payakan leap out of the ocean and annihilate the bad guys’ boat (and that one dude’s arm) in glorious 3-D on a gigantic screen.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Composure personified, underpinned by tremendous work rate.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Uncovering this story, coupled with the recognition that the raw ingredients that led to life on Earth are found in billions of star systems across our galaxy and in trillions of galaxies across the observable Universe, has led to some tremendous questions and some equally tremendous speculations.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The year Goldberg-Polin and her family arrived in Israel, the country launched Operation Cast Lead, a massive military operation aimed at halting intensifying Hamas mortar, missile and rocket fire terrorizing southern Israeli communities.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Roan performs on a set that looks like a massive Gothic castle with a drawbridge, parapets and a throne.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • A little further out, there’s a much more conventional factory site, where giant industrial mixers mass-produce the Firmenich scents.
    Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Those weeks saw students, pensioners, veterans, doctors and teachers stand in freezing temperatures around giant stages, teaching politicians that this was not a crowd to lead, but one to follow.
    Nick Spicer, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Was immense against Aston Villa when Sunderland were down to 10 men.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The American automaker is already under immense pressure to launch its budget EV model to expand its lineup beyond premium models.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • What happened from there led to a colossal collapse.
    Omar Kelly Updated October 6, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Buffett will remain chairman at Berkshire and will still be involved in deciding how to spend the conglomerate’s colossal pile of more than $344 billion cash.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vast. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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