vastness

American  

[vast-nis] / ˈvæst nɪs /

noun

1. the fact or quality of being very great in extent, size, degree, amount, etc.; immensity or hugeness.

   Given the vastness of the country, improved infrastructure will have to precede any economic development.

   I was awestruck by the sheer vastness of her knowledge on the subject.

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Other Word Forms

• supervastness noun

Etymology

Origin of vastness

First recorded in 1600–10; vast ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Mr. Sharon’s theatrical world made space for the vastness of the emotional drama and thematic subtexts contained in Wagner’s music, and the orchestra and singers filled it with ease.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

The ever-growing vastness of human knowledge is no longer stored in libraries, but on hard drives that struggle to last decades, let alone millennia.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

The singer has previously written about the "vastness" of his grief and about how the death of his sons changed him.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

Finding and tracking such a small object in the vastness of space, especially when its position is still uncertain, is a remarkable achievement.

From Science Daily • Oct. 9, 2025

My imagination is captured by the bright shining light, but I don’t understand the vastness of the sky.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

Related Words

• expanse