enormity
Americannoun
plural
enormities-
outrageous or heinous character; atrociousness.
the enormity of war crimes.
- Synonyms:
- heinousness, monstrousness
-
something outrageous or heinous, as an offense.
The bombing of the defenseless population was an enormity beyond belief.
-
greatness of size, scope, extent, or influence; immensity.
The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering.
noun
-
the quality or character of being outrageous; extreme wickedness
-
an act of great wickedness; atrocity
-
informal vastness of size or extent
Usage
In modern English, it is common to talk about the enormity of something such as a task or a problem, but one should not talk about the enormity of an object or area: distribution is a problem because of India's enormous size (not India's enormity )
Commonly Confused
Enormity has been in frequent and continuous use in the sense “immensity” since the 18th century: The enormity of the task was overwhelming. Some hold that enormousness is the correct word in that sense and that enormity can only mean “outrageousness” or “atrociousness”: The enormity of his offenses appalled the public. Enormity occurs regularly in edited writing with the meanings both of great size and of outrageous or horrifying character, behavior, etc. Many people, however, continue to regard enormity in the sense of great size as nonstandard.
Etymology
Origin of enormity
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English enormite, from Middle French, from Latin ēnormitās; enorm, -ty 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Instead of being dumbstruck by the enormity of it, we can actually make progress toward an answer about why we're here in the universe."
From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026
Also notice that the true enormity of Africa comes across on this map.
From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026
Mia admits that, for the first time, the enormity of the detailing has caused sleepless nights.
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025
Together, they represent overkill of an enormity that should be considered essentially unfathomable.
From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025
The enormity of what’s happened is hitting me in waves.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
