vastness

[ vast-nis ]

noun

1. the fact or quality of being very great in extent, size, degree, amount, etc.; immensity or hugeness:

   Given the vastness of the country, improved infrastructure will have to precede any economic development.

   I was awestruck by the sheer vastness of her knowledge on the subject.

Other Words From

• su·per·vast·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vastness¹

First recorded in 1600–10; vast ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

I love it for the way it captures history’s impossible vastness with a melancholy sweetness that is savored here.

From Los Angeles Times

For too long, Californians believed that the state, with all of its vastness and beauty, could endure our excesses, Arax said.

From Los Angeles Times

Queer people have shaped the fashion industry for so long it seems trite to try to articulate the vastness of their influence.

From Los Angeles Times

“The whole dress uses nearly 3000 meters of organza. It symbolizes the vastness of the land.”

From Los Angeles Times

Compounding the disarray, the actors look geographically lost on a set by Mimi Lien that only amplifies the vastness of the playing area.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• expanse