huge

[hyooj, yooj]

adjective

huger, hugest 

1. extraordinarily large in bulk, quantity, or extent.

   a huge ship; a huge portion of ice cream.

   Synonyms: bulky, stupendous, vast, colossal, gigantic, mammoth
   Antonyms: diminutive, tiny, small

2. of unbounded extent, scope, or character; limitless.

   the huge genius of Mozart.

3. Slang.,  very important, successful, popular, etc..

   The show is huge in Britain.

huge

/ hjuːdʒ /

adjective

1. Archaic form: hugeous. extremely large in size, amount, or scope

Pronunciation Note

See human.

Other Word Forms

• hugely adverb
• hugeness noun
• overhuge adjective
• overhugely adverb
• overhugeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of huge¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English huge, hoge from Old French ahuge, ahoge “enormous,” equivalent to a- a- ⁵ + hoge “height” from Germanic; compare Old Norse haugr “hill” ( high )

Word History and Origins

Origin of huge¹

C13: from Old French ahuge, of uncertain origin

Synonym Study

Huge, enormous, immense, tremendous imply great magnitude. Huge implies massiveness, bulkiness, or even shapelessness: a huge mass of rock; a huge collection of antiques. Enormous, literally out of the norm, applies to what exceeds in extent, magnitude, or degree, a norm or standard: an enormous iceberg. Tremendous, in informal use, applies to anything so huge as to be astonishing or to inspire awe: a tremendous amount of equipment. Immense, literally not measurable, is particularly applicable to what is exceedingly great, without reference to a standard: immense buildings. All are used figuratively: a huge success; enormous curiosity; tremendous effort; immense joy.

Example Sentences

There wouldn’t be a huge spike in the cost of living.

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The company operates Spectrum cable TV and broadband service, which was once a huge growth engine.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The good news is that not many companies are laying off staff relative to the huge size of the economy.

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Plastic discs from a wastewater treatment works in Swansea have washed up in huge numbers across the city's beach as well as Gower and Neath Port Talbot.

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Tandy takes charge of the national side for the first time next month amid huge turmoil for Welsh rugby.

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Related Words

• colossal 
• enormous 
• extensive 
• gargantuan 
• giant 
• gigantic 
• great 
• humongous 
• immense 
• magnificent 
• mammoth 
• massive 
• monstrous 
• monumental 
• towering 
• tremendous 
• vast