Immense
/ɪˈmɛns/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Immense describes something extremely big or very great. It can talk about physical size, like a huge building, or about things you cannot touch, like immense happiness or immense problems. It shows something much larger or stronger than normal.
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See It in Action
Very large in size or amount
- •The universe is immense and full of stars.
- •They built an immense bridge across the river.
- •She has an immense collection of books.
Very great in degree or intensity
- •He felt immense joy when he saw his family again.
- •The project caused immense difficulties for the team.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "immense" like "big" (A1 word), but MUCH bigger—like the difference between a small room and a huge stadium
- ✓Picture a giant mountain that looks endless and covers a lot of space
- ✓It's the feeling when you see a very large ocean and feel amazed by its size
- ✓Sounds like "I'm MENSE" → imagine someone saying "I'm immense" while standing as tall as a skyscraper
- ✓Remember famous stories about giants or huge castles—immense means something like that, very large and impressive
- ✓NOT like "large" (can be big but normal size)—immense is much bigger, almost overwhelming
- ✓NOT like "huge" (similar meaning but immense can sound more formal or serious)
- ✓NOT like "tiny" or "small" (opposite meaning)
Try Other Words
- •Huge: very large in size (Use when speaking informally or about physical size)
- •Enormous: extremely large (Use to emphasize size strongly)
- •Vast: very large in area or amount (Use often for space, land, or abstract ideas like knowledge)
- •Gigantic: like a giant, very big (Use when wanting a strong image of size)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "im-" (not negative here, part of root) + root "mense" (from Latin "immensus")
- •Etymology: From Latin "immensus" meaning "immeasurable" or "boundless"
- •Historical development: First used in English in the 15th century to describe things too big to measure
- •Modern usage: Used to describe things very big in size, amount, or feeling, often in formal or literary language
Reflect & Connect
•What kinds of things in your life would you describe as immense? Why?
•How does using the word "immense" change the feeling of a sentence compared to just saying "big"?
Fill in the blanks
1.The mountain was so immense that it took us ___ hours to climb to the top.
2.She felt immense ___ when she received the award for her hard work.
3.Unlike a large room, an immense hall can hold thousands of ___.
4.The company faced immense ___ during the economic crisis, but they kept working hard.
5.When we say the ocean is immense, we mean it covers a ___ area.
6.Immense problems usually need ___ solutions and teamwork.
7.The artist created an immense painting that filled the entire ___ wall.