enormous

Everyday

Very, very large in size, amount or degree; huge. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, giants, whales and monsters are enormous. In maths and science, «enormous numbers» are very large, like the distance to the stars. In everyday talk children say «an enormous pizza» or «an enormous mess». Synonyms: huge, gigantic, massive, giant, vast, colossal; informal «ginormous».

Examples

• The blue whale is an enormous animal. tree →
• We ate an enormous bowl of ice cream. tree →
• There was an enormous crowd at the match. tree →
• The giant had enormous feet. tree →
• It took an enormous effort to push the car. tree →
• Space is enormous. tree →
• (informal) That's a ginormous spider! tree →
• After the jackal came an enormous snake. tree →

Note

Already strong, so we do not usually say «very enormous»; say «absolutely enormous» or «truly enormous». Starts with a vowel sound: «an enormous». Adverb: «enormously» (very much). In maths it is only a description; it does not give a number.