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.
(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
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English ( see mass, -ive); replacing Middle English massif, from Middle French
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the spring, the icefall doctors had finally managed to open the Khumbu Icefall section, after a massive overhanging glacial chunk, called a serac, blocked the path for much of the early climbing season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The author recalls how the “astonishing numbers of people who got in their cars, crawled through traffic, sat in massive crowds, cheered and bought some campaign swag” proved something unique was going on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Sometimes, it can get there before a massive leak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
A massive fire near Madrid is close to merging with another blaze in neighbouring Castilla y Leon, government official Nicanor Sen Velez has said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Daniel, who was always less bothered about everything, seemed less bothered about the sudden massive changes in his Hall Monitor sash.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Massive cash winnings are at stake in the 48-country tournament.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Appeared in the July 3, 2026, print edition as 'EU Court Upholds Massive Penalty On Google'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Massive demand has led to a global shortage of the memory chips made by SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, whose workers' union recently agreed a deal on bonuses after threatening to strike.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Massive stars produce light and heat through nuclear fusion, a process that releases enormous amounts of energy from their cores.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
Massive bunches of fragrant flowers covered every mahogany table.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
