adjective
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unusually large; huge; vast
-
without limits; immeasurable
-
informal very good; excellent
Synonym Usage
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.
“You need to feed, house, arm, and pay these people, and you take them off the already tight labor market. This would put the budget under immense pressure.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
“These White House staffers are adults, public officials paid by the taxpayer with immense power in positions of public trust.”
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
In both environments, diamond is subjected to immense pressure.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Erin, from Cambuslang near Glasgow, says it's an immense decision for any young woman to have to make about their future.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The weight of it feels immense, but the honour of knowing she’s trusting me with such a big secret is bigger.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
