adjective
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unusually large; huge; vast
-
without limits; immeasurable
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informal very good; excellent
Related Words
See huge.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of immense
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”; see im- 2
Explanation
Immense means very large in size, amount, or degree. You might describe the ocean as immense, or your homework load, or the slice of cake your brother took, leaving you a tiny sliver. This word has an immense number of near synonyms: huge, great, enormous, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth, copious, tremendous are a few of the more common ones. If you're having immense difficulty deciding which word to use, just plain "very big" might do.
Vocabulary lists containing immense
List 4
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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myPerspectives 8.1
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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.
"From the moment that I arrived here 20 years ago, I felt the magic of Manchester United. Carrying the responsibility of leading our special football club fills me with immense pride," said Carrick.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
There was not even one tiny part of me that missed being able to refer to myself as we, so immense was the relief of freeing myself of Vagner.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The decision to act anyway could increase China’s assessment that Mr. Trump is willing to use military force despite immense pressure and headwinds.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
For years, Google maintained a database known internally as Sensorvault, an immense repository of detailed location information associated with users who enabled the company’s location history feature.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
The divide between this car and the next seems immense, a great span over eternity.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
