Word
huge
US/ˈhjudʒ/
UK/hjˈuːdʒ/
Definitions
01very large size
A2 · Elementary
adj. extremely large in size or amount.
adj. of great physical size, extent, or quantity.
“They live in a huge house with seven bedrooms and a pool.”
“The construction of the new stadium required a huge amount of steel and concrete, far exceeding the initial budget estimates.”
Pitfall
The mountain was very huge.
The mountain was huge.
Because 'huge' already means 'very big', you usually do not use 'very' with it. Use 'absolutely' or 'really' for extra emphasis.
02very important
B1 · Intermediate Informal
adj. very important or successful.
adj. highly significant, influential, or popular within a specific context.
“The band's new song was a huge success all over the world.”
“Securing the international contract was a huge win for the small tech startup, ensuring their financial stability for the next decade.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03a big fan
B1 · Intermediate Informal
adj. used to describe someone who is a very big fan of something.
adj. denoting a high degree of dedication or enthusiasm; typically used attributively before a noun like 'fan'.
“My brother is a huge fan of science fiction movies.”
“As a huge supporter of local arts, she donated a significant portion of her estate to the city's gallery renovation project.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English huge, borrowed from Old French ahuge ("high, lofty, great, large, huge"), itself of disputed origin. One proposed route takes it through an Old French phrase a hoge ("at height"), from a ("at, to") + hoge ("a hill, height"), with hoge descending from Frankish haug or its Old Norse cognate haugr ("hill"), both from Proto-Germanic haugaz ("hill, mound") and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kowkós ("hill, mound"), from the root kewk- — a root that also supplies English high.
The alternative is franker: the origin is simply unknown, and ahuge arrived in French already carrying its sense of immensity with no surviving paper trail. The etymology, like the word, reaches for scale and finds fog.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/huge