tremendous

[ trih-men-duh s ]

/ trɪˈmɛn dəs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tremendous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

extraordinarily great in size, amount, or intensity: a tremendous ocean liner; tremendous talent.

extraordinary in excellence: a tremendous movie.

dreadful or awful, as in character or effect; exciting fear; frightening; terrifying.

Nearby words

tremble, trembler, trembles, trembling poplar, trembly, tremendous, tremie, tremissis, tremolant, tremolite, tremolo

Origin of tremendous

1625–35; < Latin tremendus dreadful, to be shaken by, equivalent to trem(ere) to shake, quake + -endus gerund suffix

SYNONYMS FOR tremendous

1 See huge.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tremendous ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

tre·men·dous·ly, adverbtre·men·dous·ness, nounun·tre·men·dous, adjectiveun·tre·men·dous·ly, adverb

un·tre·men·dous·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tremendous

Great American leaders have long contributed profound thoughts of tremendous consequence to the public discourse.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“When I first met her I felt this tremendous surge of power,” he explained.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The rape question was a tremendous blunder,” Doar later observed.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era|Gary May|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is a tremendous find, not just because he discovered all these first veterans of our first war in a vacant lot.
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Good Lie was filmed at a time of tremendous promise for South Sudan.
‘The Good Lie’ and the Hard Truths of South Sudan|John Prendergast|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One bolt struck near with a tremendous shock and the air was driven in violent waves into the very mouth of the cave.
The Keepers of the Trail|Joseph A. Altsheler
Just then a tremendous broken sea was observed to be bearing down upon the already sluggish vessel.
The Dreadnought of the Air|Percy F. Westerman
We cannot escape this tremendous solidarity of the human race.
Maids Wives and Bachelors|Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
The few who are left after the tremendous volleys flee into the cornfield, towards the turnpike.
Following the Flag|Charles Carleton Coffin
Dear Mr. Sherringham has tremendous ambitions—tremendous riguardi, as we used to say in Italy.
The Tragic Muse|Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for tremendous

tremendous

/ (trɪˈmɛndəs) /

adjective

vast; huge

informal very exciting or unusual

informal (intensifier)a tremendous help

archaic terrible or dreadful

Derived Forms

tremendously, adverbtremendousness, noun

Word Origin for tremendous

C17: from Latin tremendus terrible, literally: that is to be trembled at, from tremere to quake

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012