immense

adjective

im·​mense i-ˈmen(t)s How to pronounce immense (audio)
1
: marked by greatness especially in size or degree
especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement
the immense universe
2
: supremely good
immenseness noun

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Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? Immense is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." Immense is also used, however, in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of immense for something which is so tremendously big that it has not been or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin immensus, from in- ("un-") and mensus, the past participle of metiri ("to measure").

Choose the Right Synonym for immense

enormous, immense, huge, vast, gigantic, colossal, mammoth mean exceedingly large.

enormous and immense both suggest an exceeding of all ordinary bounds in size or amount or degree, but enormous often adds an implication of abnormality or monstrousness.

an enormous expense
an immense shopping mall

huge commonly suggests an immensity of bulk or amount.

incurred a huge debt

vast usually suggests immensity of extent.

the vast Russian steppes

gigantic stresses the contrast with the size of others of the same kind.

a gigantic sports stadium

colossal applies especially to a human creation of stupendous or incredible dimensions.

a colossal statue of Lincoln

mammoth suggests both hugeness and ponderousness of bulk.

a mammoth boulder

Examples of immense in a Sentence

He inherited an immense fortune. She is an artist of immense talent.
Recent Examples on the Web And one space in particular, the Ellington Room, where this scene is set, holds immense importance for Keys. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2024 The process will likely be lengthy given the defendants and immense size of the bond, according to trial attorney Kevin O'Brien, especially if James opts to seize the former president's properties. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024 His impressive performance in Indianapolis — 4.46 40-yard dash and a 40.5 inch vertical jump — validated the former five-star recruit’s immense potential at the next level. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 That has helped to make ballparks welcoming spaces in a country where many people work long hours and face immense societal pressures. John Yoon Jun Michael Park Shawn Paik, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The Wolfpack are riding immense confidence after beating Louisville, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina in the ACC tournament. Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The water is beautiful, the sky clear and immense, and the Atlas mountains loom behind me. Nirpal Dhaliwal, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2024 The Fed has already been subject to immense pressure from politicians. Bryan Mena, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 And even in the case of a bill that was less of a priority but nonetheless took up immense emotional bandwidth at the Statehouse — Senate Bill 52, this year’s IndyGo bill — Huston still came out the hero. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin immensus immeasurable, from in- + mensus, past participle of metiri to measure — more at measure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of immense was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near immense

Cite this Entry

“Immense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immense. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

immense

adjective
im·​mense im-ˈen(t)s How to pronounce immense (audio)
: very great in size or amount
especially : not capable of being measured by ordinary means
the immense universe
immensely adverb
immenseness noun
Etymology

from early French immense "immense, huge," from Latin immensus "boundless, too great to be measured," from im-, in- "not" and mensus, past participle of metiri "to measure" — related to dimension, measure

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