stupendous

1 of 2

adjective

stu·​pen·​dous stu̇-ˈpen-dəs How to pronounce stupendous (audio)
styu̇-
Synonyms of stupendous
1
: causing astonishment or wonder : awesome, marvelous
2
: of amazing size or greatness : tremendous
stupendously adverb
stupendousness noun

stupendousness

2 of 2

noun

stu·​pen·​dous·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being stupendous

Synonyms of stupendous

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Adjective

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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 stupendous in a Sentence

Adjective a person with stupendous wealth the stupendous engineering feats achieved by the ancient Romans
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.
Adjective
Charlotte is a stupendous city. — Andre James, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026 Bam Adebayo was stupendous, but the Heat blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead and lost on an Amen Thompson tip in as time expired. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2026 Rinko Kikuchi is stupendous as a ballroom-dancing widow infatuated with her instructor. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026 Smith’s stupendous catch started an inning-ending double play Wednesday in Toronto helped preserve a tenuous two-run lead and secure that series win. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stupendous

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin stupendus, gerundive of stupēre

First Known Use

Adjective

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stupendous was in 1618

Rhymes for stupendous

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Browse Nearby Words

stupefyingly
stupendous
stupendously
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Cite this Entry

“Stupendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupendous. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

stupendous

adjective
stu·​pen·​dous st(y)u̇-ˈpen-dəs How to pronounce stupendous (audio)
: amazing especially because of great size or height
stupendous gorges
stupendously adverb
stupendousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stupendous

Nglish: Translation of stupendous for Spanish Speakers

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