enormous
Americanadjective
-
greatly exceeding the common size, extent, etc.; huge; immense.
an enormous fortune.
- Synonyms:
- stupendous, prodigious, mammoth, gigantic, colossal, vast
-
outrageous or atrocious.
enormous wickedness; enormous crimes.
adjective
-
unusually large in size, extent, or degree; immense; vast
-
archaic extremely wicked; heinous
Related Words
See huge.
Other Word Forms
- enormously adverb
- enormousness noun
Etymology
Origin of enormous
Explanation
When something is very, very, VERY big, it can be called enormous. “Good heavens, that pimple on your cheek is absolutely enormous; it covers half your face!” The word enormous contains within it, if you look closely, the root norm, as in normal. So what you’re saying when you call something enormous is that it’s beyond what is normal; you’re trying to convey a sense of exaggerated difference. You may also have heard the word ginormous, which people try to use as enormous with a dramatic flair. But, trust us: ginormous is not a good word; it’s just a blend of two words — gigantic and enormous.
Vocabulary lists containing enormous
Chains
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Living Large: Synonyms for "Big"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Watson's denunciation shows the scars of golf's so-called civil war, which started in 2022 when LIV started luring star names away from the PGA Tour with enormous pots of cash, still run deep.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Paying Griffin is an enormous commitment for a notoriously stingy franchise that has so often served as a glorified farm club for wealthier opponents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Though the property is dwarfed by Hogan’s enormous mansion, it does offer plenty of space, spanning more than 2,000 square feet, which includes three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Braemar was diverting enormous resources to the advisory company of its board chairman, Bennett, the email continued.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
The thing’s enormous, eight feet high and wide, with webs of wires and rows of rotating rotors—like something the Son of Frankenstein might have invented, if he’d been a brilliant code breaker.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
