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massive

massive

236 3.1
Very large and heavy
  • adjective
  • /ˈmæsɪv/
translation icon : masivo
  • Before him was a massive door, bound with iron like a dungeon port.
  • massive amounts
  • a massive influx
  • more massive

But I still see these massive trucks everywhere.

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Examples

  • It moved with the slow, massive confidence of a continent.

  • This is a massive job.

  • But yeah, they they had just a massive tank.

  • But I still see these massive trucks everywhere.

  • And even better, a massive indoor heated swimming pool.

  • Ron: These bears are massive!

  • Three astronomers think they may have caught a massive star in the act of formation.

    Academic text (1992)
  • We approached an enclave of massive boulders that surrounded a small pool of dark, still water.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The massive elephant walked slowly across the savannah.

  • During the storm, we spotted a massive tree that had fallen across the road.

Synonyms

big
vsmassive
1.0

Larger than usual in size or amount

is more about heavy, solid mass rather than general largeness
large
vsmassive
1.0

Bigger than average in size, number, or amount

signals stronger weight and solid physical presence than average bigness
huge
vsmassive
1.0

Very large in size, amount, or degree

is similar but stresses heaviness and solid bulk
great
vsmassive
1.0

Very large in size or number

is used for heavy, solid bulk rather than relative largeness
giant
vsmassive
878 1.0

Very large in size

overlaps but emphasizes solid heaviness rather than general largeness
enormous
vsmassive
842 2.1

Very large in size, amount, or effect

leans more toward physical mass and heavy presence
tremendous
vsmassive
794 3.0

Very large or impressive

is narrower, stressing physical weight and solid mass
vast
vsmassive
721 2.1

Very large in size or amount

applies more to compact heavy bulk than to wide extent
heavy
vsmassive
355 1.0

Doing or using something a lot

is more about actual physical bulk and heaviness
immense
vsmassive
141 3.7

Very large in size, amount, or degree

adds a sense of heavy, solid bulk rather than only scale
gigantic
vsmassive
139 3.2

Very large, much bigger than normal

is similar but can include heavy solidity as well as size
large-scale
vsmassive
65 3.8

Very large and affecting many people or places

is focused on compact physical bulk and amount rather than scope
sizable
vsmassive
  • US
64 3.7

Quite large in size or amount

expresses greater heaviness and solid mass than this moderate sense
colossal
vsmassive
55 4.7

So large in size or amount that it causes great surprise

focuses more on physical bulk than on impressiveness
humongous
vsmassive
  • Informal
37 3.6

Very large in size, much bigger than normal

is the standard expression for great bulk and weight
monstrous
vsmassive
21 4.5

Very large in size or amount, much bigger than normal

is similar but more neutral about abnormality or shock
gargantuan
vsmassive
19 7.3

Very large, much bigger than usual

is closer to physical mass and heavy solidity than extent alone
monumental
vsmassive
16 6.3

Very large and impressive like a famous building or statue

centers on physical bulk and solidity rather than significance
ginormous
vsmassive
  • Informal
15 3.3

Very large and much bigger than usual

is the neutral term for great physical size and solidity
voluminous
vsmassive
13 7.0

Very large in size or amount, taking a lot of space

focuses more on dense weight and solid size than volume alone
larger-than-life
vsmassive
  • Informal
13 4.8

A person or thing that seems bigger and more exciting than normal

is more literal, referring to tangible heavy and solid size
hefty
vsmassive
12 3.7

Being large and heavy in size or build

covers similar size but stresses solidity rather than just weight
mega
vsmassive
9 3.9

Very large in size, amount, or importance

restricts meaning to heavy physical bulk rather than importance
monolithic
vsmassive
6 7.8

Very large and solid in shape with no separate parts

highlights size and weight without implying uniform form
mammoth
vsmassive
5 3.9

Very large in size or amount

adds the idea of great weight or solidity to that largeness
weighty
vsmassive
2 4.1

Heavy and difficult to lift

includes weight but also covers large size and solid mass
massy
vsmassive
1 7.5

Being large and heavy like a solid block

focuses on the same bulk but more on general size than form
hugemongous
vsmassive
  • Informal
8.6

Very large, often said in a playful way

is the plain descriptor for large solid size without humor

Antonyms

1.0

So small it can fit in your hand

36 2.8

Weighing less than other items of the same type

Compounds

A heavy particle that hardly interacts with normal matter and may make up dark matter in space

How Big

colossal
55 4.7
huge
1.0
massive
236 3.1
large
1.0
big
1.0

Surface Forms

massive positive
massiver comparative
massivest superlative

Morphology

massive = mass (transparent) = mass + ive

Meaning 'very large or heavy' follows directly from 'mass' (bulk) + the adjectival suffix '-ive', so learners can infer the sense.

Etymology

Massive comes from the old French massif and the Latin massa, which mean 'lump' or 'mass', and is like the English word mass. So think of a heavy lump or big block — that's why massive means very large, heavy, or solid.