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monstrous

monstrous

36 4.5
Very large in size or amount, much bigger than normal
  • adjective
  • /ˈmɒnstrəs/
: enorme
  • We took a week off and just hired a monstrous crew of men to just dig us out.

You know everything will lead to this epic, monstrous moment, and then it's gone.

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Examples

  • The play is The Metamorphosis about a German man waking up one day and finding out he has become a monstrous bug, a huge beetle.

  • The train thereof was of monstrous length.

  • But then if you just have like a monstrous computer, then maybe.

  • I had them take away that monstrous thing of yours and send this one 'round instead.

  • that monstrous house up on the hill

  • But this is a big deal because it's got a monstrous resolution.

  • A huge, monstrous scaly head come out of the water.

  • A huge something right underneath her, monstrous in its size and suddenness.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The bulk tank room held the monstrous, shiny tank in a pit in the wet concrete floor.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The giant statue was truly monstrous, towering over the rest of the buildings in the city.

Synonyms

huge
vsmonstrous
∞ 1.0

Very large in size, amount, or degree

focuses on an extreme, abnormal scale beyond ordinary very large
giant
vsmonstrous
975 1.0

Very large in size

suggests a more abnormal or excessive version beyond plain largeness
enormous
vsmonstrous
754 2.1

Very large in size, amount, or effect

is similar but stresses abnormal or unnatural largeness rather than just very large
tremendous
vsmonstrous
671 3.0

Very large or impressive

emphasizes abnormal excess or deviation from normal large scale
vast
vsmonstrous
650 2.1

Very large in size or amount

adds a sense of abnormal or unusually excessive magnitude
massive
vsmonstrous
165 3.1

Very large and heavy

moves that idea toward abnormal or unusually extreme dimensions
gigantic
vsmonstrous
145 3.2

Very large, much bigger than normal

adds a sense of abnormal or striking excess beyond straightforward greatness
immense
vsmonstrous
132 3.7

Very large in size, amount, or degree

leans further into unnatural or abnormally large degree rather than general vastness
colossal
vsmonstrous
56 4.7

So large in size or amount that it causes great surprise

suggests a more abnormal or shocking size beyond inspiring awe
outrageous
vsmonstrous
54 4.2

Too high to be fair or reasonable

applies the same shock but specifically to abnormal size or degree
humongous
vsmonstrous
  • Informal
30 3.6

Very large in size, much bigger than normal

is more about abnormal or unusually large degree rather than informal emphasis
astronomical
vsmonstrous
27 5.6

Very large in amount or size

is similar but stresses abnormality as well as sheer inconceivability
mammoth
vsmonstrous
22 3.9

Very large in size or amount

highlights abnormal or unusually extreme size rather than merely very large
obscene
vsmonstrous
21 6.1

Too large and unfair in amount, often about money

narrows that shock to abnormal largeness in size, amount, or degree
prodigious
vsmonstrous
19 7.5

Very large or impressive in a way that surprises people

focuses more on being abnormally excessive rather than simply impressive
gargantuan
vsmonstrous
19 7.3

Very large, much bigger than usual

adds abnormal or unusually extreme connotation beyond mere massiveness
larger-than-life
vsmonstrous
  • Informal
17 4.8

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

focuses more on being abnormally large rather than merely impressive
ginormous
vsmonstrous
  • Informal
13 3.3

Very large and much bigger than usual

adds a sense of abnormal or startling excess beyond casual bigness
hugemongous
vsmonstrous
  • Informal
8.6

Very large, often said in a playful way

implies abnormal or unusually extreme size rather than playful emphasis

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

So small it can fit in your hand

23 4.4

Very small in size or amount

How Big

monstrous
36 4.5
enormous
754 2.1
huge
∞ 1.0
large
∞ 1.0
big
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

monstrous positive

Morphology

monstrous = monster (semi-transparent) = monster + ous

The adjective is formed regularly from 'monster', but the sense 'extremely large' is a metaphorical extension rather than a literal 'monster-like' meaning.

Etymology

Monstrous comes from monster (from Latin monstrum), and because monsters are often imagined as huge, monstrous also came to mean 'extremely large' or very great in size or amount.