monumental

[ mon-yuh-men-tl ]

adjective

1. resembling a monument; massive or imposing.

   Synonyms: colossal, immense

2. exceptionally great, as in quantity, quality, extent, or degree:

   a monumental work.

3. of historical or enduring significance:

   a monumental victory.

4. Fine Arts. having the quality of being larger than life; of heroic scale.
5. of or relating to a monument or monuments.
6. serving as a monument.

monumental

/ ˌmɒnjʊˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. like a monument, esp in large size, endurance, or importance

   a monumental work of art

2. of, relating to, or being a monument
3. informal.
   (intensifier)

   monumental stupidity

Derived Forms

• ˌmonumenˈtality, noun
• ˌmonuˈmentally, adverb

Other Words From

• monu·mental·ism noun
• monu·men·tali·ty noun
• monu·mental·ly adverb
• premon·u·mental adjective
• unmon·u·mental adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of monumental¹

From the Late Latin word monumentālis, dating back to 1595–1605. See monument, -al ¹

Example Sentences

But I’m dismayed that it was such a monumental effort and wonder how many other men committing crimes go unpunished because of the inefficiency, the failures and the delays.

From BBC

I was nervous about that initially, but it ended up being monumentally helpful because you get to distinguish the factors that come together in the end a little bit more by depicting them chronologically.

From Los Angeles Times

I put on my old Army trench coat and boots and, as I have on many days, and especially in these monumental moments, I made my pilgrimage to Trump Tower in downtown Chicago.

From Salon

On my first day in Salzburg, I headed for an 11 a.m. concert featuring Riccardo Muti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in Bruckner’s monumental Eighth Symphony.

From Los Angeles Times

He added that the impact of the NI hike would be "monumental" for practices, many of which were "already on a financial tight rope".

From BBC

Related Words

• awesome
• enduring
• enormous
• fantastic
• gigantic
• grand
• great
• historic
• huge
• immense
• mammoth
• massive
• memorable
• significant
• towering
• tremendous
• unforgettable
• vast