ENGLISH
REFERENCE

massive

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈmæsɪv// UK //mˈæsɪv// mas·sive General-service Informal Slang

adj. extremely large, heavy, or powerful. You can use it to describe physical things like buildings or abstract things like a big success.

adj. exceptionally large in size, weight, or degree. In informal registers, it functions as an intensifier for abstract nouns to indicate significant scale or impact.


SIMPLE

The new stadium is absolutely massive.

CONTEXTUAL

The company reported a massive increase in profits after the new product launch.

COMPLEX

The tectonic shift caused a massive displacement of water, resulting in a series of waves that reached the distant coastline within hours.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English massif, from Middle French massif, equivalent to mass + -ive. The Irish sense is possibly derived from Irish mas (“fine, handsome”).

Usage

Commonly used as a gradable adjective; it can be modified by intensifiers like 'absolutely' or 'truly'.

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