Gigantic: Definition, Usage & Common Synonyms

Meaning 1：immense (gigantic)

gigantic 🔊

/dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/

adj.

Something so big that it seems almost impossible or is compared to a giant.

Gigantic scale illustrated by a person awed by a massive dinosaur skeleton in a museum.

immense 🔊

➕

/ɪˈmens/

adj.

Describes something of extraordinarily great size, extent, or magnitude, often inspiring awe.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek *gigas* (giant) + the English suffix *-ic* (having the nature of).

💡 Mnemonic

**GI**raffes are **GANTIC**! Think of a giant giraffe to remember something huge.

📖 Example

From space, astronauts can see the gigantic oceans and continents of our planet, reminding us how precious and fragile it is. 🔊 From space, astronauts can see the immense oceans and continents of our planet, reminding us how precious and fragile it is.

🔗 Collocations

gigantic task – an extremely large and challenging piece of work

gigantic structure – a building or object of enormous size and scale

gigantic effort – an immense amount of hard work or exertion

🔄 Synonyms

enormous (adj.) – Very large in size, quantity, or extent.

colossal (adj.) – Extremely large, resembling a colossal statue in size.

monumental (adj.) – Great in importance, size, or scale, like a monument.

🚫 Antonyms

tiny (adj.) – Very small in size.

minuscule (adj.) – Extremely small; minute.

microscopic (adj.) – So small as to be visible only with a microscope.

🌱 Derivatives

gigantically (adv.) – In a gigantic manner; to a gigantic degree.

gigantism (n.) – The quality or condition of being gigantic; abnormal largeness.

📖 Cultural Story

The word originates from the Greek 'gigas' meaning 'giant', specifically referring to the monstrous, earth-born beings in Greek mythology who battled the Olympian gods. This mythological connection solidifies its association with size beyond the ordinary human scale.