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
Synonym Usage
See huge.
Other Word Forms
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.
He rises and falls at the same pace as his companion in this nightmare, laying the groundwork on which Adjani can create something so enormous.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
The authors said this sub-field has enormous potential but remains in its infancy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
That run-up in costs has squeezed tech budgets at big institutions including banks—a core customer base for IBM—that buy an enormous amount of computing power from cloud companies to run in-house AI tools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
They squeeze enormous amounts of mass into an incredibly small region, creating gravity so intense that not even light can escape.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
My brain is running wild with this thought when the dogs stop and I look up and there is an enormous bull buffalo standing in front of my leader, smelling his head.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
