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monstrousness

monstrousness

7.8
The quality of being very large or powerful in a way that shocks people
  • noun
  • /ˈmɒnstrəsnəs/
translation icon : monstruosidad
  • "It's our nature to take terrible shapes, to struggle with our generation, to pit our monstrousnesses against one another until only the strongest and most cruel is left."

Examples

  • And what we had to do was to create a representation of war that would do justice to the monstrousness of the Battle of the Somme.

  • In his paintings, the artist often depicted the monstrousness of humanity's darker impulses.

  • The film showcased the monstrousness of the creature, evoking both fear and empathy in the audience.

  • We were shocked by the monstrousness of the destruction left in the wake of the storm.

Synonyms

monstrosity
vsmonstrousness
23 8.2

A very ugly thing that looks frightening, often a building

focuses more on extreme size or shocking character than mere ugliness
enormity
vsmonstrousness
  • Formal
9 8.9

Great evil that shocks people

focuses instead on extreme size or unnatural character rather than moral wrong
immensity
vsmonstrousness
7 6.8

A very large size or amount

includes that vastness but also a shocking or unnatural quality
bigness
vsmonstrousness
6 2.8

The size or importance of something

is more extreme by including shock, unnaturalness, or degree
outrageousness
vsmonstrousness
3 7.2

A quality of being shocking or extreme

leans more toward very large or unnatural degree rather than oddity
grotesquery
vsmonstrousness
2 9.9

A strange, often ugly scene that looks distorted

emphasizes overwhelming size or shocking nature as well as oddness
hugeness
vsmonstrousness
2 1.9

A very large size that is much bigger than normal

frames that largeness with an added sense of being shocking or odd
bizarreness
vsmonstrousness
1 6.9

A state of being very strange or unusual that surprises people

is stronger by adding extreme size or an unnatural tone
grotesquerie
vsmonstrousness
1 9.9

A strange and ugly quality in people and things that shocks and interests

is about extreme scale or shock beyond mere bizarreness
horribleness
vsmonstrousness
1 5.9

A very unpleasant, shocking state that causes fear or disgust

includes this horror but adds a sense of vastness or unnatural size
massiveness
vsmonstrousness
1 5.4

A great size or weight that makes something heavy

adds an element of shock or unnatural degree beyond mere mass
grotesqueness
vsmonstrousness
1 8.1

A state when something looks ugly and strange in a way that shocks

stresses extreme size or unnatural degree rather than just distortion
ghastliness
vsmonstrousness
1 8.5

A very shocking and horrible sight that scares people

broadens that shock to include extreme size or gross abnormality
egregiousness
vsmonstrousness
  • Formal
1 9.8

A quality of being very bad and shocking

adds a physical or unnatural enormity aspect rather than moral wrongness
freakishness
vsmonstrousness
1 7.5

A quality of being very strange or different from most people

adds an element of extreme size or shocking character to oddness
freakiness
vsmonstrousness
1 6.1

A quality of being strange or unexpected, like odd weather

stresses overwhelming size or shock more than simple oddity
outlandishness
vsmonstrousness
1 8.4

Being very unusual in appearance, ideas, or behavior

pushes that strangeness into the realm of extreme size or shock
enormousness
vsmonstrousness
4.7

Very large size or amount

adds a sense of shock or unnatural character as well as size
immenseness
vsmonstrousness
5.1

A very large size or amount that feels endless

emphasizes added shock or abnormal character beyond mere vastness
tremendousness
vsmonstrousness
6.9

Being extremely large, powerful, or important and making people feel amazed

shifts awe toward alarm by adding unnatural or shocking aspects
prodigiousness
vsmonstrousness
7.9

A state of being very large or amazing that makes people feel wonder

is harsher by adding a shocking or unnaturally extreme quality

Antonyms

13 3.5

A time when things are usual and happen as expected

3 4.1

A state of being usual and not special

How Extreme

monstrousness
7.8
abomination
  • Offensive
72 9.1
abnormality
11 5.2
strangeness
12 5.5

Surface Forms

monstrousness singular

Morphology

monstrousness = monstrous (transparent) = monster + ous + ness

The noun is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'monstrous', creating a straightforward abstract noun.

Etymology

Monstrousness comes from the common word monster, which once named something strange or unnatural, and the parts -ous ('full of') and -ness ('state of being') make it a quality. So monstrousness means the quality of being extremely large, shocking, or unnatural.