as in magnitude
the quality or state of being very large
the American taste for giantism: big cars, big houses, big servings of food
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Recent Examples of giantism
Brontotheres, the ancient North American ancestors of the horse, is a giantism outlier as—growing from around 40 pounds to four to five tons in 16 million years.
—
Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 16 May 2023
In an especially mind-bending passage, Wengrow and Graeber show that the majority of Paleolithic tombs contained not grandees but individuals with physical anomalies including dwarfism, giantism, and spinal abnormalities.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 11 July 2022
Other prehistoric examples of autapomorphic giantism include the extinct mega-ducks of Hawaii, as well as the dodo, which was essentially an enormous pigeon, said Dr. Worthy.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
The researchers think the parrot evolved this way because of a phenomenon known as autapomorphic giantism, in which a member of an otherwise moderately sized group becomes humongous by taking over an empty ecological niche.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
The extraordinary success of the giant three-ring circus gave rise to other forms of exportable American giantism, such as amusement parks, department stores, and shopping malls.
—Janet M. Davis, Smithsonian, 22 Mar. 2017
Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 16 May 2023
In an especially mind-bending passage, Wengrow and Graeber show that the majority of Paleolithic tombs contained not grandees but individuals with physical anomalies including dwarfism, giantism, and spinal abnormalities.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 11 July 2022
Other prehistoric examples of autapomorphic giantism include the extinct mega-ducks of Hawaii, as well as the dodo, which was essentially an enormous pigeon, said Dr. Worthy.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
The researchers think the parrot evolved this way because of a phenomenon known as autapomorphic giantism, in which a member of an otherwise moderately sized group becomes humongous by taking over an empty ecological niche.
—Cara Giaimo, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019
The extraordinary success of the giant three-ring circus gave rise to other forms of exportable American giantism, such as amusement parks, department stores, and shopping malls.
—Janet M. Davis, Smithsonian, 22 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for giantism
Noun
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The temblor was detected just hours after a 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck near North Hollywood, California.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2025
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On February 13, 2025, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Avenal, approximately six miles north-northwest of the city.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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According to the researchers, gigantism appears several times in the evolutionary history of anurans, but this is one of the few species known to have both giant frogs and tadpoles.—
Nina Turner,
Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2024
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In evolution, gigantism is the result of species evolving large body sizes relative to their small-bodied ancestors.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The compositions prioritize headspace for the sky to take over the frame during exterior shots, communicating Rico’s feeling of insignificance against the immensity of what burdens him.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
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Horizons suggest the unencumbered immensity of the Midwest.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
ARTnews.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Giantism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/giantism. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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