gigantic

adjective

gi·​gan·​tic jī-ˈgan-tik How to pronounce gigantic (audio)
jə-
: exceeding the usual or expected (as in size, force, or prominence)
gigantically adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for gigantic

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 gigantic in a Sentence

a raccoon got into the trash and now there's a gigantic mess in our backyard
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is the Hoosiers’ second gigantic Quad 1 win in the past two weeks, including a win at Michigan State. Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025 One of the puzzles in Animal Well (2024) requires memorizing a route to escape a gigantic ghost cat. Lewis Gordon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 In 2010 astronomers detected a gigantic gas cloud 31,000 light-years from Earth, on the other side of our galaxy. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2025 The final photo in the social media upload showed off the gigantic, dazzling diamond on Simone’s ring finger. Angel Saunders, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gigantic

Word History

Etymology

Greek gigantikos, from gigant-, gigas giant

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gigantic was in 1630

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gigantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gigantic. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

gigantic

adjective
gi·​gan·​tic jī-ˈgant-ik How to pronounce gigantic (audio)
: being beyond the ordinary or expected (as in size, weight, or strength)

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