massive

adjective

mas·​sive ˈma-siv How to pronounce massive (audio)
Synonyms of massive
1
: forming or consisting of a large mass:
a
: bulky
massive furniture
b
: weighty, heavy
massive walls
a massive volume
c
: impressively large or ponderous
stars more massive than the sun
d
: having no regular form but not necessarily lacking crystalline structure
massive sandstone
2
a
: large, solid, or heavy in structure
massive jaw
b
: large in scope or degree
… the feeling of frustration, of being ineffectual, is massive.—David Halberstam
c(1)
: large in comparison to what is typical
a massive dose of penicillin
(2)
: being extensive and severe
massive hemorrhage
(3)
: imposing in excellence or grandeur
massive simplicity
the most massive American dramatist of his time—Newsweek
3
: having mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c)
a massive boson
massively adverb
massiveness noun

Synonyms of massive

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Examples of massive in a Sentence

The fort had massive walls. stars more massive than the sun A massive effort will be required to clean up the debris. You can find a massive amount of information on the Internet. The stunt received massive publicity. a massive collection of baseball cards
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many Democrat candidates are now attacking this measure and calling for massive new increases in government spending. — Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026 But the contents of at least three documents in the massive tranche of files indicate classified information was included in files collected by the DOJ. — Daniel Ruetenik, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 In a similar discovery, archaeologists in Egypt unearthed a massive statue believed to depict King Ramses II at a Nile Delta site northeast of Cairo earlier this year. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026 Speaking on his latest WY Network podcast, Wade spoke of the need for a team to recalibrate and reset after a massive offseason makeover, such as the one the Heat underwent with the offseason addition of Antetokounmpo. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for massive

Word History

Etymology

Middle English massiffe, from Anglo-French mascif, alteration of massiz, from Vulgar Latin *massicius, from Latin massa mass

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of massive was in the 15th century

Rhymes for massive

See All Rhymes for massive

Browse Nearby Words

Massinger
massive
massively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Massive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/massive. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

massive

adjective
mas·​sive ˈmas-iv How to pronounce massive (audio)
1
: weighty sense 1, heavy
massive walls
2
a
: large, solid, or heavy in structure
a massive jaw
b
: large in extent or degree
a massive effort
3
: having mass
massively adverb
massiveness noun

Medical Definition

massive

adjective
mas·​sive ˈmas-iv How to pronounce massive (audio)
1
: large in comparison to what is typical
—used especially of medical dosage or of an infectious agent
a massive dose of penicillin
2
: being extensive and severe
—used of a pathologic condition
a massive hemorrhage
a massive collapse of a lung
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