tremendous

adjective

tre·​men·​dous tri-ˈmen-dəs 

1

a

: notable by reason of extreme size, power, greatness, or excellence

tremendous problems

a writer of tremendous talent

—often used as a generalized term of approval

had a tremendous time

b

: unusually large : huge

a tremendous number of people

2

: being such as may excite trembling or arouse dread, awe, or terror

tremendousness noun

Synonyms of tremendous

• huge
• enormous
• vast
• gigantic
• massive
• immense
• giant
• colossal
• monumental
• astronomical
• mammoth

Choose the Right Synonym for tremendous

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 tremendous in a Sentence

He has a tremendous amount of energy.

The engine's power is tremendous.

She is a writer of tremendous talent.

We had a tremendous time.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Tomkins’ conservation efforts have had a tremendous impact in terms of helping restore the puma, guanaco, Andean condor, and rhea (native ostrich) population. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

That resonated for me because the war on terror did a tremendous amount of damage to people, and those people have suffered in silence. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

The second was to throw more pucks toward the net, becoming more of a volume-shooting line as opposed to a shot-quality line to take advantage of Kreider’s tremendous hands in front of the net. — Arpon Basu, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Both execs are well-liked and respected, and both boast tremendous domains, consisting of both studios and networks. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin tremendus, from gerundive of tremere

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for tremendous

• horrendous
• stupendous
• rendus

Kids Definition

tremendous

adjective

tre·​men·​dous tri-ˈmen-dəs 

1

: causing dread, awe, or terror : dreadful

2

: astonishing because of great size, excellence, or power

tremendous problems

a writer of tremendous talent

tremendously adverb