immense

adjective

im·​mense i-ˈmen(t)s 

1

: marked by greatness especially in size, amount, or degree

an immense lake

immense wealth/power

immense talent

an immense relief

especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement

the immense universe

2

: supremely good

… his reading has been immense, his grasp is masterly …

—H. Latimer Jackson

immenseness noun

Did you know?

Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? Immense is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." But immense is also used in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of immense for something which is so tremendously big (such as, say, the universe) that it has not been or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin immensus, from in- ("un-") and mensus, the past participle of metiri, "to measure."

Synonyms of immense

• enormous
• vast
• huge
• tremendous
• gigantic
• massive
• giant
• colossal
• monumental
• mammoth
• astronomical

Choose the Right Synonym for immense

enormous, immense, huge, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth mean exceedingly large.

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

huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

Examples of immense in a Sentence

He inherited an immense fortune.

She is an artist of immense talent.

Recent Examples on the Web

His beloved Vikings used their top pick—the eighteenth over all—on a defensive lineman named Caleb Banks, who had immense talent but also a troubling history of left-foot issues, including breaking a bone at the Combine. —Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

Walking across shiny, immaculately clean floors into the still room, a tour leads visitors to a room with the immense structures the Bakers use to make their special brand of whiskey. —Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026

For Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, the borrowing update is the latest example of the immense supply of fresh debt that the Treasury Department is issuing. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 May 2026

Their enormous talons penetrate deeply into tissue, while the bird’s powerful flexor muscles clamp down with immense force. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin immensus immeasurable, from in- + mensus, past participle of metiri to measure — more at measure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for immense

• commence
• condense
• defence
• defense
• dispense
• expense
• fourpence
• halfpence
• incense
• intense
• missense
• offence

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Kids Definition

immense

adjective

im·​mense im-ˈen(t)s 

: very great in size or amount

especially : not capable of being measured by ordinary means

the immense universe

immensely adverb

immenseness noun

Etymology

from early French immense "immense, huge," from Latin immensus "boundless, too great to be measured," from im-, in- "not" and mensus, past participle of metiri "to measure" — related to dimension, measure