mega

1.adjectiveB2

Definition

extremely large in size, amount, or very impressive in quality — used in informal conversation to show excitement or emphasis.

Example

Caleb threw a mega party for his thirtieth birthday with over a hundred guests.

attributive use: mega + noun (party)

The new shopping centre is absolutely mega — it has more than two hundred shops.

predicative use: be mega after linking verb

Common collocations

mega party
mega bonus
mega profit
mega sale
absolutely mega

Synonyms

huge
neutral in register; suitable for both positive and negative contexts
enormous
more formal; emphasises physical size rather than quality
awesome
overlaps in the 'very impressive' meaning; also informal

Antonyms

tiny
opposite in size
terrible
opposite in quality when used for the 'very good' meaning

Grammar Patterns

be mega

mega + noun

Usage Note

Frequently used in casual speech and social media, but rarely in formal or academic writing.

Common Mistakes

The company reported a mega loss.

The company reported a huge loss.

'mega' before a noun usually emphasises something impressive or positive; 'huge' or 'enormous' are neutral alternatives for negative contexts.

1.combining formB2

Definition

used before a noun to describe a physical structure, place, or facility that is much larger or more powerful than the usual kind — for example, a megacity, a megastore, or a megadam.

Example

Tokyo is a true megacity with over thirty-seven million residents.

mega- + city: describing an extremely large urban area

A new megastore opened near our house, selling everything from books to furniture.

Common collocations

megacity
megastore
megadam
megaport
megafarm

Synonyms

giant
used similarly before nouns (giant store, giant city); less technical
colossal
more formal; emphasises impressiveness through size

Antonyms

mini
the opposite combining form for small-scale things (minicity, ministore)

Grammar Patterns

mega- + noun (structures, places, facilities)

Usage Note

Forms compound nouns without a hyphen (megacity, megastore). Unlike the prefix sense, this combining form attaches to ordinary nouns for places and structures rather than scientific units.

Common Mistakes

That shop is mega-store.

That shop is a megastore.

the combining form attaches directly to the noun to form a single compound word; it does not work as a separate modifier.

2.combining formB2

Definition

used before a noun to describe a person, product, or event that is far more successful or famous than any others in the same category — for example, a megastar, a megahit, or a megaseller.

Example

Élise became a true megastar after her latest album sold ten million copies.

mega- + star: a performer who surpasses all others in fame

The film was a megahit, earning over a billion dollars worldwide.

Common collocations

megastar
megahit
megaseller

Synonyms

super
used in similar compounds (superstar, superhit); slightly less emphatic
top
can be used as a modifier (top star, top seller); not a combining form
blockbuster
only used of films, shows, or products; more informal

Grammar Patterns

mega- + noun (people, products, events)

Usage Note

Frequently used in entertainment and marketing contexts. A megastar has achieved the highest level of fame; a megahit has had extraordinary commercial success. Distinguish from LARGE-SCALE sense (sense 1), which describes physical size rather than exceptional quality or success.

Common Mistakes

She is a mega-star in her field.

She is a megastar in her field.

these compounds are written without a hyphen in standard English.

3.combining formB1

Definition

used before a noun of measurement to mean one million (10⁶) of that unit — most often in computing terms such as megabyte and megapixel.

Example

Each photo on my phone takes up about three megabytes of storage space.

megabyte: one million bytes of digital data

The new camera has a resolution of two hundred megapixels.

Common collocations

megabyte
megapixel
megahertz (in computing contexts)

Grammar Patterns

mega- + noun (byte, pixel, hertz)

Usage Note

In computing, one megabyte can be either 1,000,000 bytes (decimal) or 1,048,576 bytes (binary), depending on context. For most everyday usage, the simple 'one million' meaning is sufficient. Distinguish from the MEASUREMENT UNIT prefix sense (prefix/1), which is used with formal scientific units (hertz, watt) rather than digital data terms.

Common Mistakes

My phone has 128 megabyte of storage.

My phone has 128 megabytes of storage.

like other units, megabyte takes a plural -s when the number is greater than one.

1.prefixB2

Definition

used before a scientific unit to mean one million (10⁶) times that unit — for example, megahertz (one million hertz) or megawatt (one million watts).

Example

The radio station broadcasts at a frequency of ninety-eight megahertz.

megahertz: one million hertz, used for radio frequencies

A typical lightning strike releases about one thousand megawatts of power.

Common collocations

megahertz
megawatt
megaton

Antonyms

micro
the opposite SI prefix meaning one-millionth

Grammar Patterns

mega- + unit of measurement (hertz, watt, ton)

Usage Note

This is a standard SI (International System of Units) prefix and is used in formal scientific and engineering writing. Unlike the combining form MILLION UNITS sense (combining form/3), which is mainly used with digital data terms, this prefix attaches to formal measurement units across physics and engineering.

Common Mistakes

The storm released 5 mega-tons of energy.

The storm released 5 megatons of energy.

do not add a hyphen between mega- and the unit.

2.prefixB2

Definition

used before a noun to describe an event, business agreement, or project of extraordinarily large scale or importance — for example, a megadeal, a megaproject, or a megamerger.

Example

The government announced a megaproject to build high-speed rail across the island.

megaproject: a project of extraordinary scale and investment

Hassan signed a megacontract with a major sports brand worth millions.

Common collocations

megadeal
megaproject
megacontract
megamerger

Synonyms

mega- (LARGE-SCALE sense)
combining form/1 covers physical structures; this prefix covers abstract business and project entities

Grammar Patterns

mega- + noun (deal, project, merger, contract)

Usage Note

Common in business news and media reporting. Unlike the LARGE-SCALE combining form sense (combining form/1), which refers to physical structures (megacity, megastore), this prefix attaches to nouns for agreements, events, and projects.

Common Mistakes

They built a mega project near the river.

They built a megaproject near the river.

the prefix is attached to the noun without a space or hyphen.

Word family

mega-
prefixB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something very large or impressive, but they differ in register and nuance. 'Mega' is distinctly informal — it belongs in casual conversation, social media captions, and slang; you would not find it in a business report or academic paper. 'Huge' is the most neutral and versatile: it works in both formal and informal contexts ('a huge profit', 'a huge mistake'). 'Enormous' is slightly more formal and emphasizes size that is extraordinary or surprising ('an enormous building', 'enormous pressure'). 'Massive' suggests heavy, solid bulk or a large physical object ('a massive stone wall') but is also used informally for abstract quantities ('a massive discount'). 'Awesome' overlaps with 'mega' in the 'very good/impressive' meaning but is even broader — it can describe anything that inspires wonder or admiration. For example: 'That movie was awesome' (quality) vs 'That party was mega' (size + quality).

huge ↗enormous ↗massive ↗awesome ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Mega comes from the ancient Greek word μέγας (megas), meaning 'great, large, or powerful'. It entered English in the early 1800s through scientific vocabulary, first as a prefix in the metric system (megaton, megawatt). By the mid-1900s it spread into everyday compounds like megastar and megacity. In the late 1900s, English speakers began using 'mega' as a standalone slang adjective meaning 'very big' or 'very good', following a pattern also seen with 'super' and 'ultra'.

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mega

mega — adjective

1. extremely large in size, amount, or very impressive in quality — used in informa

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

mega — combining form

1. used before a noun to describe a physical structure, place, or facility that is

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. used before a noun to describe a person, product, or event that is far more succ

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. used before a noun of measurement to mean one million (10⁶) of that unit — most

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

mega — prefix

1. used before a scientific unit to mean one million (10⁶) times that unit — for ex

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. used before a noun to describe an event, business agreement, or project of extra

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Etymology

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