Himalayan

1 of 2

adjective

Hi·​ma·​la·​yan ˌhi-mə-ˈlā-ən 

hi-ˈmäl-yən,

-ˈmä-lē-ən 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling the Himalayas

2

: enormously large : mountainous

a task of Himalayan proportions

Himalayan

2 of 2

noun

: any of a breed of domestic cats developed by crossing the Persian and the Siamese and having the stocky build and long thick coat of the former and the blue eyes and coat patterns of the latter

Illustration of Himalayan

Synonyms

Adjective

• astronomical
• astronomic
• Brobdingnagian
• bumper
• colossal
• cosmic
• cosmical
• cyclopean
• elephantine
• enormous
• galactic
• gargantuan
• giant
• gigantesque
• gigantic
• grand
• herculean
• heroic
• heroical
• huge
• humongous
• humungous
• immense
• jumbo
• king-size
• king-sized
• leviathan
• mammoth
• massive
• mega
• mighty
• monster
• monstrous
• monumental
• mountainous
• oceanic
• pharaonic
• planetary
• prodigious
• super
• super-duper
• supersize
• supersized
• titanic
• tremendous
• vast
• vasty
• walloping
• whacking
• whopping

Examples of Himalayan in a Sentence

Adjective

as military blunders go, the disastrous Pickett's Charge was of Himalayan proportions

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Countries with abundant renewable energy, like Bhutan which mined $750 million worth of bitcoin using hydroelectric power from its Himalayan rivers, show how nations can convert unused renewable energy capacity into significant financial returns. —Andrey Sergeenkov, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

The Himalayan monsoon season ends in late September, leaving the mountains primed for skiing. —Matt Coté, Outside Online, 28 Nov. 2024

Through the Sustainable Markets Initiative, Brunello Cucinelli funds the Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab. —Tianwei Zhang, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024

The company has previously brought mobile cinema experiences to remote locations including the Himalayan Film Festival in Ladakh at 11,562 feet elevation and the Tribal Film Festival in Arunachal Pradesh. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1949, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Himalayan

1 of 2 adjective

Hi·​ma·​la·​yan ˌhim-ə-ˈlā-ən  him-ˈäl-(ə-)yən 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Himalaya Mountains

Himalayan

2 of 2 noun

: any of a breed of stocky blue-eyed domestic cats that have a long thick coat and a pale body with darker ears, paws, tail, and face