massive
adjective
consisting of or forming a large mass; bulky and heavy.
massive
1 American
[mas-iv]
/ ˈmæs ɪv /
adjective
-
consisting of or forming a large mass; bulky and heavy.
massive columns.
-
large and heavy-looking.
a massive forehead.
-
large in scale, amount, or degree.
a massive breakdown in communications;
massive reductions in spending.
-
solid or substantial; great or imposing.
massive erudition.
-
Mineralogy. having no outward crystal form, although sometimes crystalline in internal structure.
Massive
2
American
[mas-iv]
/ ˈmæs ɪv /
noun
massive
British
/ ˈmæsɪv /
adjective
-
(of objects) large in mass; bulky, heavy, and usually solid
-
impressive or imposing in quality, degree, or scope
massive grief
-
relatively intensive or large; considerable
a massive dose
-
pathol affecting a large area of the body
a massive cancer
-
geology
-
(of igneous rocks) having no stratification, cleavage, etc; homogeneous
-
(of sedimentary rocks) arranged in thick poorly defined strata
-
-
mineralogy without obvious crystalline structure
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing massive
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Number the Stars
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
A massive figurative painting by Jones’s daughter Freya Jones, a 25-year-old artist, dominates one wall, and a large Richard Prince work sits on another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
He added that it "had been a massive mistake" to help Letby and said he had "a lot of regrets".
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Just Miley also has a new profile shot that features the star in red lighting wearing a massive Saint Laurent faux fur coat, and it’s giving drama, it’s giving glamour, it’s giving new album cover?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Several homes stood dangerously close to the edge of massive pits dug with excavators by miners seeking access to chrome deposits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
But when the human body is exposed to massive doses of radiation, cells begin to die.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Massive pieces of floating ice can remain intact for years as they drift, then gradually fracture into smaller sections that may become difficult to track.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Massive flooding killed eight people in Nepal on Wednesday as Chinese state media reported "major casualties" from a mudslide at a Tibet trade hub on China's side of the nations' shared border.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Massive Attack, which consists of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, described the event as a “surreal experience” in a post on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Massive Attack's frontman Robert Del Naja was arrested earlier this year when he took part in a demonstration in London.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Massive and slow and strong he seemed, dressed all in skins, with a club in his right hand and an axe in his left.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
