immense
immense
Pronunciation
/ɪˈmɛns/
ɪ - This is the "short i" sound, as in the word "bit".
ˈmɛns - The stress falls on this syllable.
m - This is the standard "m" sound.
ɛ - This is the "short e" sound, as in the word "bed".
ns - This is a blend of the "n" and "s" sounds.
Word Form Variations
The word "immense" is an adjective, meaning it describes a noun. Adjectives in English don't typically have different forms for singular and plural.
However, you can modify the intensity of its meaning with adverbs:
More immense: To indicate a greater degree of immensity.
Most immense: To indicate the highest degree of immensity.
You can also use it to form a noun phrase:
The immensity (noun): This refers to the state or quality of being immense.
While "immense" itself doesn't change, these variations allow you to express different shades of meaning and use it in various grammatical contexts.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective:
Definition: Extremely large or great in size, extent, or degree.
Synonyms: vast, enormous, huge, gigantic, colossal, massive, tremendous
Antonyms: tiny, small, minute, insignificant, negligible
Noun: (While "immense" isn't typically used as a noun on its own, the noun form "immensity" is common)
Immensity:
Definition: The state or quality of being immense; vastness.
Synonyms: enormity, vastness, hugeness, magnitude, expanse
Antonyms: smallness, minuteness, insignificance
Examples of Use
Books:
Fiction: "The ocean, with its immense depths and mysterious creatures, has always fascinated mankind." (Any adventure novel featuring the sea, like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne)
Non-Fiction: "The universe is of immense size, filled with billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars." (A book on astronomy, like Cosmos by Carl Sagan)
Newspapers:
"The earthquake caused immense damage to the city's infrastructure, leaving thousands homeless." (Any news report on a natural disaster, like an article in The New York Times)
"The company announced immense profits this quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations." (A financial news article in The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"Scientists have discovered an immense underground lake on Mars, raising the possibility of past or present life." (A science article on a site like National Geographic)
"The artist's new installation is an immense sculpture made entirely of recycled materials." (An art review on a blog or website like Artnet News)
Entertainment:
Movies: "The movie featured an immense battle scene with thousands of CGI warriors." (A fantasy film like The Lord of the Rings)
Video Games: "Players explore an immense open world filled with quests and challenges." (A role-playing game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
Music: "The singer's immense talent was evident from a young age." (A biography of a musician like Adele)
General Public Discourse:
Social Issues: "The pandemic has had an immense impact on the global economy." (Discussions on social media or in public forums)
Politics: "The candidate has immense support from rural voters." (Political commentary on news channels or online platforms)
Everyday Conversations: "I have an immense amount of work to do today." (Casual conversation with friends or colleagues)
These examples demonstrate the versatility of the word "immense" and how it can be used to describe a wide range of things, from physical size and scale to abstract concepts like talent, impact, and importance.
10 Famous Quotes Using Immense
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” – Albert Einstein (often paraphrased with “immense possibilities”)
“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.” – G.K. Chesterton (sometimes extended with: “The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder—its immense supply is overlooked.”)
“The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.” – George Steiner
“There is immense power in the act of choosing.” – Blaine Lee
“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.” – Henry David Thoreau (in Walden, referring to the immense value and influence of great books)
“Solitude gives birth to the original in us, to beauty unfamiliar and perilous—to poetry. But also, it gives birth to the opposite: to the perverse, the illicit, the absurd.” – Thomas Mann (mentions immense psychological insight)
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” – Émile Zola (contextually linked to the immense effort behind creativity)
“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.” – Khalil Gibran (in The Prophet, speaks of the immense unseen beauty of faith)
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” – Albert Einstein (frequently paired with reflections on the immense unknown)
“An immense amount of needless pain and suffering can be eliminated by simply teaching people how to communicate with themselves and with others.” – Marshall Rosenberg
Etymology
Imagine something so big that you can't even measure it! That's the basic idea behind the word "immense." It comes from the Latin word "immensus," which literally means "unmeasurable."
Let's break it down:
"im-": This prefix means "not" or "un-". Think of words like "impossible" (not possible) or "invisible" (not visible).
"mensus": This part comes from the Latin verb "metiri," which means "to measure." You can see this root in words like "dimension" and "measure" itself.
So, putting it together, "immensus" basically meant "not measured" or "unmeasurable." This gives us the idea of something being so huge or vast that it's beyond our normal ways of measuring.
The first known use of "immense" in English was in the 15th century, and it carried that same meaning of "immeasurable" or "limitless." Over time, it evolved to also describe things that are simply extremely large, even if we can technically measure them.
So, whether it's the vastness of the universe or the incredible size of a giant redwood tree, "immense" helps us describe things that are truly awe-inspiring in their size or scale.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Immense
Existing Phrases:
Immense pressure: This is probably the most common phrase, referring to a feeling of being heavily burdened or stressed.
Immense joy/relief/gratitude: These express extreme positive emotions.
Lesser-Known/Original Phrases:
Immense in scope: Describing something vast in its range or extent.
Of immense proportions: Highlighting the extraordinary size or scale of something.
An immense undertaking: Referring to a task that is extremely challenging and demanding.
Immense possibilities: Suggesting a vast range of potential outcomes or opportunities.
Idioms with Synonyms:
A world of possibilities: Similar to "immense possibilities," conveying a vast range of potential.
Ocean of troubles/grief: Evoking a vast and overwhelming amount of problems or sorrow.
Mountains of work: Suggesting an enormous amount of tasks to be done.
A giant leap forward: Describing a significant and impactful advancement.
While "immense" itself might not be a frequent player in idioms, these examples demonstrate how it can be used to create descriptive phrases and how similar ideas can be conveyed through idioms with synonyms.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of immense from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
