immense

[ih-mens]

adjective

1. vast; huge; very great.

   an immense territory.

   Synonyms: extensive

2. immeasurable; boundless.

3. Informal.,  splendid.

   You did an immense job getting the project started.

immense

/ ɪˈmɛns /

adjective

1. unusually large; huge; vast

2. without limits; immeasurable

3. informal,  very good; excellent

Other Word Forms

• immensely adverb
• immenseness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of immense¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin immēnsus “huge, boundless, immeasurable,” equivalent to im- “un-” + mēnsus, past participle of mētīrī “to measure”; im- ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of immense¹

C15: from Latin immensus, literally: unmeasured, from _im- (not) + mensus measured, from mētīrī to measure

Synonym Study

See huge.

Example Sentences

Calling for the release of the abductees, Pope Leo XIV expressed "immense sadness" and urged the authorities to act swiftly.

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The ongoing inaugural Blind Women's T20 Cricket World Cup has put the spotlight on visually impaired Indian women who have overcome immense challenges to reach this stage.

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The pressure to deliver a picture-perfect holiday is immense, and the financial cost can be steep.

Read more on MarketWatch

"It is important that we remember the immense loss and suffering of so many people due to Covid-19. Today, our thoughts must first and foremost be with them," she added.

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Perhaps the most impressive example of this change, in American studies, is the increased understanding of slavery’s immense impact during the morning time of the republic.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• boundless 
• colossal 
• endless 
• enormous 
• extensive 
• gigantic 
• great 
• huge 
• immeasurable 
• infinite 
• limitless 
• mammoth 
• massive 
• monstrous 
• monumental 
• prodigious 
• tremendous 
• vast