stupendous

adjective

stu̇-ˈpen-dəs How to pronounce stupendous (audio)
Definition of stupendousnext
as in marvellous
causing wonder or astonishment the stupendous engineering feats achieved by the ancient Romans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word stupendous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of stupendous are monstrous, prodigious, and tremendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

In what contexts can monstrous take the place of stupendous?

The words monstrous and stupendous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

When is prodigious a more appropriate choice than stupendous?

Although the words prodigious and stupendous have much in common, prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

Where would tremendous be a reasonable alternative to stupendous?

While in some cases nearly identical to stupendous, tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stupendous Dear brothers and sisters, In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025 Dear brothers and sisters: In the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. —Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025 Opulent, But Moreover Confident Before slapping on the Manufaktur-rich veneer of opulence, the 2025 Mercedes G550 is a stupendous SUV. —Peter Nelson, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Adebayo was stupendous early; Herro was magnificent in the second half. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stupendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupendous
  1. wonderful
  2. amazing
  3. astonishing
  4. miraculous
  5. incredible
  6. marvelous
  7. surprising
  8. stunning
Adjective
  • Tanja Caldwell designed the wonderful costumes for Mara Block Ali’s Netflix series, Forever.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • Though not a traditional kids’ movie by any stretch, there’s still a lot of wonderful Dignan-esque scheming involved in Mr. Fox (George Clooney) stealing from the adjoining farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, and the film has the warmth of an old Rankin-Bass production.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 2025
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • Here’s a look at his amazing performance. Notes . . .
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • Among the biggest highlights of the match were: Paul’s amazing springboard moonsault through the announce table, Truth’s unforgettable return and Rhodes pinning Cena.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Definition of amazing
Adjective
  • This astonishing debut is a classic in the making, a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 June 2025
  • But now imagine going further still into the realm of the astonishing, and creating not just molecules that resemble naturally occurring ones, but their exact mirror images which are not naturally found anywhere on Earth.
    — Eva Amsen, JSTOR Daily, 11 June 2025
Definition of astonishing
Adjective
  • Still, Maye was able to make a miraculous pass for the first down, throwing against the grain.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 June 2025
Definition of miraculous
Adjective
  • The incredible semblance of natural language fluency exhibited by the computational capabilities of contemporary LLMs seems to be a sure sign that the road ahead must lead to AGI/ASI.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
  • His time with Villa included the drop into the Championship and then an incredible return to European football.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 12 June 2025
Definition of incredible
Adjective
  • The Six Senses Milan, which will open early next year, is the most marvelous project.
    — Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • America may be getting regulated into wan electroluminescence, but the marvelous Ms. Seltzer and her pack of canine companions will not go gentle, or dimly, into that good night.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 31 May 2025
Definition of marvelous
Adjective
  • The announcement, though abrupt, was not altogether surprising: City leaders have fretted the loss of Blue Diamond since the 1990s, and the cooperative has been steadily cutting costs in recent years.
    — Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
  • Keep in mind that a spicy square between Mars and Uranus on June 15 could also lead to romantic developments or surprising revelations, spontaneously or behind the scenes.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of surprising
Adjective
  • Then, follow steep alleys up to Hvar’s medieval hilltop castle, looming high above the town below, for stunning views over the bay and Pakleni islands.
    — Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Designed by the famed 18th-century landscape architect Capability Brown, the estate’s sprawling grounds and stunning interiors have lent their timeless elegance to countless productions.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
Definition of stunning

Browse Nearby Words

stupefying
stupendous
stupendously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stupendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupendous. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on stupendous

Nglish: Translation of stupendous for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All