adjective
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unusually large; huge; vast
-
without limits; immeasurable
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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.
Luster, who was drawn to the immense challenge of playing “something that’s not something,” wanted to find out what motivated it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Simulating every possible step using quantum mechanics would require immense computing power, so researchers typically focus on a limited selection of reactions believed to be the most important.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
It takes immense skill for a great actor to convincingly play a novice performer.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
"Knowing her as I do, that took an immense amount of courage," says Kim.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The divide between this car and the next seems immense, a great span over eternity.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
