stupendous

adjective

stu·​pen·​dous stu̇-ˈpen-dəs How to pronounce stupendous (audio)
styu̇-
1
: causing astonishment or wonder : awesome, marvelous
2
: of amazing size or greatness : tremendous
stupendously adverb
stupendousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for stupendous

monstrous, prodigious, tremendous, stupendous mean extremely impressive.

monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

Examples of stupendous in a Sentence

a person with stupendous wealth the stupendous engineering feats achieved by the ancient Romans
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Reese had a stupendous rookie season this year as a part of the Chicago Sky. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 18 Oct. 2024 For less than the stupendous cost of colonizing Mars, humanity could address the issues that Musk feels will make the Earth uninhabitable, such as global warming. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024 In addition to being a properly funny, pleasingly irreverent comedy featuring stupendous turns from two of the best actors working today, Wicked Little Letters is also a tense mystery. EW.com, 14 Sep. 2024 Read on for our full review of one of Bangkok's most stupendous hotels. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stupendous 

Word History

Etymology

Latin stupendus, gerundive of stupēre

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stupendous was in 1618

Dictionary Entries Near stupendous

Cite this Entry

“Stupendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupendous. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

stupendous

adjective
stu·​pen·​dous st(y)u̇-ˈpen-dəs How to pronounce stupendous (audio)
: amazing especially because of great size or height
stupendous gorges
stupendously adverb
stupendousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stupendous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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