tremendous
Americanadjective
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extraordinarily great in size, amount, or intensity.
a tremendous ocean liner; tremendous talent.
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extraordinary in excellence.
a tremendous movie.
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dreadful or awful, as in character or effect; exciting fear; frightening; terrifying.
adjective
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vast; huge
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informal very exciting or unusual
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informal (intensifier)
a tremendous help
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archaic terrible or dreadful
Synonym Usage
See huge.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of tremendous
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin tremendus “dreadful, to be shaken by,” equivalent to trem(ere) “to shake, quake” + -endus gerund suffix
Explanation
Tremendous means extraordinarily large in size, extent, amount, power, or degree. It can also mean really marvelous and fantastic — or really awful and terrible. We often use tremendous if something is super wonderful. If someone comes into your office and tells you you just won a big contract and are getting a huge bonus, you might exclaim, “Tremendous!” Tremendous comes from the Latin for "trembling," and is connected with fear. Something tremendous can be big in a terrifying way, like the tremendous noise of an approaching hurricane, or a tremendous tidal wave about to crash on the shore.
Vocabulary lists containing tremendous
Bud, Not Buddy
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Living Large: Synonyms for "Big"
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The Launch of Sputnik 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.
It has been a period of tremendous upheaval, with many wondering what can, and should, be done to preserve the history and heritage of the close-knit community they love.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
"Transporting a stone of this size over such a long distance would have required planning, coordination and a deep understanding of the landscape -- not to mention tremendous determination," Dr. Clarke said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
“There’s still a tremendous amount of skepticism, which is a good thing for investors because markets tend to climb a wall of worry,” she added.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Speaking about being a bridesmaid to the late Queen to the Telegraph in 2017, Lady Pamela described the experience as a "tremendous rush", as she had to return to the UK from India.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
I was sliding under a leaning cedar when suddenly there was a tremendous crashing sound to my right.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
