massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈma-siv How to pronounce massive (audio)
1
: forming or consisting of a large mass:
a
: bulky
massive furniture
b
: weighty, heavy
massive walls
a massive volume
c
: impressively large or ponderous
stars more massive than the sun
d
: having no regular form but not necessarily lacking crystalline structure
massive sandstone
2
a
: large, solid, or heavy in structure
massive jaw
b
: large in scope or degree
the feeling of frustration, of being ineffectual, is massiveDavid Halberstam
c(1)
: large in comparison to what is typical
a massive dose of penicillin
(2)
: being extensive and severe
massive hemorrhage
(3)
: imposing in excellence or grandeur
massive simplicity
the most massive American dramatist of his timeNewsweek
3
: having mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c)
a massive boson
massively adverb
massiveness noun

Examples of massive in a Sentence

The fort had massive walls. stars more massive than the sun A massive effort will be required to clean up the debris. You can find a massive amount of information on the Internet. The stunt received massive publicity. a massive collection of baseball cards
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.
On 25th March 2025, Russian forces launched a massive drone assault on Dnipropetrovsk oblast, including Marhanets and Nikopol, marking one of the largest and most intense attacks of the war to date. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025 Masterminded by the Rockwell Group, that means a cocktail lounge draped in blue velvet with a marble bar under a massive lighted globe on the 48th floor. Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025 The massive crowd walked a little over a mile from downtown to the west side of Union Station, culminating in a huge gathering on the lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2025 Tourists and locals saddle up to any of the building’s multiple bars or perch on the massive deck, which boasts an idyllic view of the Gulf of Mexico. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for massive

Word History

Etymology

Middle English massiffe, from Anglo-French mascif, alteration of massiz, from Vulgar Latin *massicius, from Latin massa mass

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of massive was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Massive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/massive. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

massive

adjective
mas·​sive ˈmas-iv How to pronounce massive (audio)
1
: weighty sense 1, heavy
massive walls
2
a
: large, solid, or heavy in structure
a massive jaw
b
: large in extent or degree
a massive effort
3
: having mass
massively adverb
massiveness noun

Medical Definition

massive

adjective
mas·​sive ˈmas-iv How to pronounce massive (audio)
1
: large in comparison to what is typical
used especially of medical dosage or of an infectious agent
a massive dose of penicillin
2
: being extensive and severe
used of a pathologic condition
a massive hemorrhage
a massive collapse of a lung

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