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• massive
  massive

  adjective

  consisting of or forming a large mass; bulky and heavy.
• Massive
  Massive

  noun

  Mount, a mountain in central Colorado, in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains: second highest in U.S. Rockies. 14,421 feet (4,396 meters).

massive

¹ American  

[mas-iv] / ˈmæs ɪv /

adjective

1. consisting of or forming a large mass; bulky and heavy.

   massive columns.

2. large and heavy-looking.

   a massive forehead.

3. large in scale, amount, or degree.

   a massive breakdown in communications;

   massive reductions in spending.

4. solid or substantial; great or imposing.

   massive erudition.

5. Mineralogy. having no outward crystal form, although sometimes crystalline in internal structure.

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Massive ² American  

[mas-iv] / ˈmæs ɪv /

noun

1. Mount, a mountain in central Colorado, in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains: second highest in U.S. Rockies. 14,421 feet (4,396 meters).

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massive British  

/ ˈmæsɪv /

adjective

1. (of objects) large in mass; bulky, heavy, and usually solid

2. impressive or imposing in quality, degree, or scope

   massive grief

3. relatively intensive or large; considerable

   a massive dose

4. pathol affecting a large area of the body

   a massive cancer

5. geology

   1. (of igneous rocks) having no stratification, cleavage, etc; homogeneous

   2. (of sedimentary rocks) arranged in thick poorly defined strata

6. mineralogy without obvious crystalline structure

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noun

1. slang a group of friends or associates; gang

   the Staines massive

Other Word Forms

• massively
  adverb
• massiveness
  noun
• massivity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of massive

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English ( see mass, -ive); replacing Middle English massif, from Middle French

Explanation

Massive means enormous. Obviously, Mt. Everest is massive, but a massive budget cut isn't necessarily big in physical mass; it's something that is imposing in scale or power. A massive budget cut can do a lot of damage. Unless someone is referring to your intellect, massive is not a word you want used in a description of your attributes. Massive is a nice one to trot out when huge, gigantic, and enormous sound too over-the-top. Politicians use it often. Massive could also be the best way to describe the wave you surfed on your Hawaiian vacation or the size of the fish you nearly caught on that trip with your friends.

Example Sentences

Will anyone stop 'massive favourites' France in Six Nations?

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Matt Pinfield, a radio host and former MTV VJ, is unable to care for himself after recently suffering a ‘massive stroke,’ his daughter says in legal documents.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2025

For years, the Sierra Club’s Washington State Chapter has voiced its concerns regarding the ‘Yakima Plan,’ calling it a ‘massive hydrologic re-engineering of Washington’s rivers.’

From Seattle Times • Dec. 17, 2023

Instead, they "attributed the sudden loss of millions of crabs to 'a drastic increase in natural mortality' and 'massive die-offs,' claims for which no evidence ever materialized."

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2022

Then the crash of a brazen gong; it is what the scientists call 'massive stimulation,' resolving super-excitation into partial hypnosis.

From The Gates of Chance by Sutphen, Van Tassel

Related Words

• big
• colossal
• enormous
• extensive
• gargantuan
• gigantic
• grand
• great
• heavy
• hefty
• huge
• immense
• imposing
• impressive
• mammoth
• monumental
• substantial
• towering
• tremendous
• vast