vastness

[vast-nis]

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.

Other Word Forms

• supervastness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vastness¹

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

Example Sentences

A young woman from an island community on the brink of extinction sets out on an odyssey across the vastness of the Pacific, hoping to save the people of her benighted home.

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

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No GoPro or camera can capture the vastness of the ocean for someone back on shore.

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The vastness reminds him of the ocean, where constantly shifting tides mean that no two trips yield the same experience.

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The vastness of the building site was at first overwhelming for the young Ethiopian mechanical engineer.

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Related Words

• expanse