enormous

enormous — adjective

1. much larger than what is normal or expected — used to describe things that are s

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

much larger than what is normal or expected — used to describe things that are surprisingly big in size, number, or importance

Example

An enormous crowd of fans gathered outside the stadium before the concert began.

collocation: enormous crowd (group nouns)

Naoko felt enormous relief when her flight landed safely after the storm.

collocation: enormous relief (abstract noun)

Common collocations
  • enormous building
  • enormous amount
  • enormous crowd
  • enormous relief
  • enormous success
  • enormous pressure
  • enormous difference
  • enormous appetite
Synonyms
  • huge

    the most common and neutral near-synonym; interchangeable in most contexts

  • massive

    suggests great weight and solidity; often used for buildings, rocks, or structures

  • gigantic

    more dramatic than enormous; often used to emphasize surprise or impressiveness

  • immense

    slightly more formal; suggests vastness that is hard to measure

Antonyms
  • tiny

    direct opposite in physical size

  • minuscule

    more formal than tiny; suggests something very small

Grammar Patterns

enormous + noun

be + enormous

Usage Note

Enormous is a strong adjective (stronger than big or large) and is commonly used with concrete nouns (building, crowd, meal) as well as abstract nouns (relief, success, pressure, difference). It can be modified by absolutely or really but is less commonly used with very in careful English.

Common Mistakes

The box was very enormous.
The box was absolutely enormous.
Enormous is a strong adjective; avoid using very with it. Use absolutely or really instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe something very large, but they differ in tone and typical use. Enormous is the most neutral and versatile — it works for physical objects, amounts, and abstract ideas (enormous relief, enormous pressure). Huge is even more common in everyday speech and is slightly less formal. Massive emphasizes weight and solidity: a massive rock or massive shoulders suggest bulk more than height. Gigantic adds a sense of wonder or exaggeration — a gigantic dinosaur or a gigantic mistake feels extreme. Immense is the most formal of the group and often describes scale that is hard to grasp, such as immense space or immense wealth. In conversation, huge and enormous are the safest choices. In academic writing, immense or massive may fit better. For example: 'The company made an enormous profit last year' sounds natural; 'The company made a gigantic profit' sounds exaggerated.

enormous ↗huge ↗massive ↗gigantic ↗immense ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • an enormous number of
  • an enormous amount of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Enormous comes from the Latin word enormis, meaning 'irregular' or 'unusual.' The prefix e- means 'out of,' and norma means 'rule' or 'pattern.' So the original idea was something that breaks the usual pattern — something so big it is remarkable. The word entered English through French in the 1500s.