enormous
- Very, very large in size or amount.
In a sentence
- An enormous wave crashed onto the beach and soaked everyone nearby.
- She felt an enormous sense of relief when she found her lost cat safe under the porch.
Usage note. 'Enormous' refers mainly to size or extent; use 'enormous' rather than 'enormously big,' since that is redundant.
Where it comes from
English enormous · entered English 16th c.
From Latin 'enormis,' meaning 'out of the normal rule or pattern,' formed from 'e-' (out of) and 'norma' (rule, carpenter's square). It entered English in the 16th century. Its original sense included moral wrongness, but that meaning faded and 'huge' became dominant.