enormous

[ih-nawr-muhs]

adjective

1. greatly exceeding the common size, extent, etc.; huge; immense.

   an enormous fortune.

   Synonyms: stupendous, prodigious, mammoth, gigantic, colossal, vast

2. outrageous or atrocious.

   enormous wickedness; enormous crimes.

enormous

/ ɪˈnɔːməs /

adjective

1. unusually large in size, extent, or degree; immense; vast

2. archaic,  extremely wicked; heinous

Other Word Forms

• enormously adverb
• enormousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of enormous¹

First recorded in 1525–35; enorm + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of enormous¹

C16: from Latin ēnormis, from ē- out of, away from + norma rule, pattern

Synonym Study

See huge.

Example Sentences

“I think it has enormous capabilities to make really significant changes in the economy and the labor force.”

Read more on Barron's

This is in part indicative of the enormous investor demand for income.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Billions have been poured into funding a build-out of artificial-intelligence infrastructure, but it remains unclear how and when the return on that enormous investment will materialize.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Hamas and Islamic Jihad suffered enormous losses and ceded most of Gaza.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meteorologist Kerry Emanuel told AFP a warming climate was causing more storms to rapidly intensify as Melissa did, and especially raises the potential for enormous rains.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• behemothic www.thesaurus.com
• colossal 
• excessive 
• gargantuan 
• gigantic 
• huge 
• humongous 
• immense 
• mammoth 
• massive 
• monstrous 
• prodigious 
• tremendous 
• vast