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

He summons a gentler touch to pay tribute to the vastness of Shakespeare’s empathy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 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

“Oh...yes...” said Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have been counting Hagrid as several people due to his vastness.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• expanse