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

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 authors that explore the vastness of the heart often serve as our guides.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

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.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 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

Almost two years had passed since we had arrived in the U.S., and I was still marveling at the size of this country, its vastness.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• expanse