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 The most conspicuous act of local resistance — albeit a mild one — was the plea from a group of sheriffs and police chiefs to ease up on deporting undocumented law-abiding immigrants and to provide a path to normalization for the vast majority who have broken no law except by being here. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026 The vast majority of the time, an ectopic pregnancy takes place in a fallopian tube, which is a part of the reproductive system that is not able to stretch in the way the uterus can. Emily Brindley health Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026 The vast majority of this district since 2022 is new. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026 Driving across America’s vast freeways, Koch observes, you might be fully absorbed in a radio story while your eyes still process the road ahead, attending to relevant features. Shai Tubali, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vast
Adjective
  • Video from Chopper 2 shows the huge animal lying in the sand at the Queens beach Thursday.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • But, if the goal was to draw attention, the Weather Underground’s bombing campaign was a huge success.
    Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Even if giant, enormous voids with no stars and galaxies in them at all did exist, this structure couldn’t possibly be one of those.
    Big Think, Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Wall Street’s footprint in New York remains enormous.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The first time the scorebug appeared, it was accompanied by a gigantic advertisement that significantly increased the amount of space the graphic took up and remained for the entire inning.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Grow the infrastructure at Stockton’s gigantic port.
    Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The research is already showing tremendous results.
    Etiido Uko March 28, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The ball went into Wallace-Johnson — second on the team with 19 points, while Ichima Idoko had 23 — but Hill played tremendous defense keeping the ball in the DeLaSalle backcourt before Chatman’s clinching steal in the final second.
    Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Starting overnight from Monday to Tuesday, Kremlin forces attacked Ukraine in three massive waves, the Ukrainian air force said, initially launching nearly 400 drones and more than 30 ballistic and cruise missiles.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Israel destroyed roughly 70% of its massive arsenal of around 150,000 missiles in the last war, but the arsenal that remains is still formidable.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Even if giant, enormous voids with no stars and galaxies in them at all did exist, this structure couldn’t possibly be one of those.
    Big Think, Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The rockets would be coming from SpaceX’s Starbase in South Texas, which is both a corporate headquarters and production facility for the giant Starship, a critical part of NASA’s Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon.
    Brandon Lingle, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • For the latter, a federal program known as 340B does an immense amount of good filling in the gaps in drug affordability.
    Demetrius Atsalis, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The conferences outside the Power Four in football and Power Five in men’s basketball receive immense benefits (financial and otherwise) from their association with the top-tier programs.
    Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In order to get the money for these unprecedented projects, data-center providers are beginning to take on colossal amounts of debt.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Brecher's image reveals the 30-light-year-wide emission nebula NGC 2359, whose bubble-like form was sculpted by the stellar wind blasting out from the colossal Wolf-Rayet star at its heart.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Vast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vast. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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