vastness

American  

[vast-nis] / ˈvæst nɪs /

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 Word Forms

• supervastness noun

Etymology

Origin of vastness

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

Example Sentences

The ever-growing vastness of human knowledge is no longer stored in libraries, but on hard drives that struggle to last decades, let alone millennia.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Despite the vastness of space and the complexities of our problems, that answer alone offers fuel for the fire of hope and wonder Carl Sagan ignited in me long ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Finding and tracking such a small object in the vastness of space, especially when its position is still uncertain, is a remarkable achievement.

From Science Daily • Oct. 9, 2025

The vastness reminds him of the ocean, where constantly shifting tides mean that no two trips yield the same experience.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025

The sun was coming up: The pure, colorless vastness of the sky stretched over him, indifferent to him and his suffering.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• expanse