Words for Different Levels of “Big”: From Sizeable to Astronomical

“Big” is one of the first words we learn, and it ends up describing everything: a big house, a big problem, a big price. It works, but it doesn't tell your listener how big. Native speakers pick different words depending on the size, and often on the feeling they want to show.

In this post I walk through six words on a ladder, from mildly big to beyond reasonable. For each one you'll get the meaning, examples, synonyms, opposites and a quick tip on when to use it.

The ladder at a glance

1. sizeable

UK /ˈsaɪ.zə.bəl/ · US /ˈsaɪ.zə.bəl/ · adjective

Meaning: Fairly big; noticeably large.

Examples

• A sizeable crowd gathered outside.
• She earns a sizeable income.

Synonyms: considerable, hefty, decent-sized Opposites: small, modest

Tip: A good word when something is clearly big but not extreme. It sounds neutral and works well at work. You will also see it spelled sizable in US English.

2. substantial

UK /səbˈstæn.ʃəl/ · US /səbˈstæn.ʃəl/ · adjective

Meaning: Large in amount, size or importance.

Examples

• The company made a substantial profit.
• There is substantial evidence for this.

Synonyms: considerable, significant, solid Opposites: slight, minor

Tip: More formal than big. It is common in business, news and academic writing, especially with words like profit, evidence, change and amount.

3. huge

UK /hjuːdʒ/ · US /hjuːdʒ/ · adjective

Meaning: Very big, much larger than usual.

Examples

• That's a huge difference.
• They live in a huge house by the sea.

Synonyms: massive, giant, vast Opposites: tiny, small

Tip: You probably know this one already. The lesson is its level: it sits clearly above big, and it's friendly in everyday conversation.

4. enormous

UK /ɪˈnɔː.məs/ · US /ɪˈnɔːr.məs/ · adjective

Meaning: Far bigger than normal; extremely large.

Examples

• He ate an enormous breakfast.
• The film was an enormous success.

Synonyms: immense, gigantic, massive Opposites: tiny, minute

Tip: Stronger than huge, and it works for both things and ideas (an enormous effort, an enormous relief).

5. colossal

UK /kəˈlɒs.əl/ · US /kəˈlɑː.səl/ · adjective

Meaning: So big that it is hard to imagine.

Examples

• It was a colossal waste of time.
• A colossal statue stands in the harbour.

Synonyms: gigantic, mammoth, monumental Opposites: tiny, minuscule

Tip: Dramatic and emphatic. It's often used for mistakes, failures and waste (a colossal mistake), and for very large structures.

6. astronomical

UK /ˌæs.trəˈnɒm.ɪ.kəl/ · US /ˌæs.trəˈnɑː.mɪ.kəl/ · adjective

Meaning: Extremely high, far beyond what seems reasonable. Mostly used for prices and numbers.

Examples

• Rent in the city is astronomical.
• The odds of winning are astronomical.

Synonyms: sky-high, exorbitant, extortionate Opposites: reasonable, affordable

Tip: Use it for costs, prices, odds and figures, not for physical size. It also carries a feeling of complaint or shock.

Same sentence, six levels

Let's use one sentence and change only the word:

“The bill was ___.”

• The bill was sizeable. (clearly more than usual)
• The bill was substantial. (a serious amount)
• The bill was huge. (very big)
• The bill was enormous. (far more than expected)
• The bill was colossal. (almost hard to believe)
• The bill was astronomical. (completely unreasonable)

Same bill, six different messages.

How to remember them

Reading a list once isn't enough. Words stick when you see them again just before you'd forget them. That's called spaced repetition, and it's what Mem-App is built around.

1. Look up a word in Mem-App's built-in dictionary to see the definition, examples, synonyms, opposites and UK/US pronunciation.
2. Add it to your list with one tap.
3. Review it when it's due and rate how it went: Easy, Good, Hard or Forgot. The next review adapts to you.

Try it

Mem-App is free to start: the Starter plan includes up to 50 words and 5 new words a day, with no ads. It installs from your browser on Android, iPhone and iPad, Mac and Windows, with no app store needed. I'm a solo developer building it, so every bit of feedback helps.

👉 Try it free at mem-app.com

Which word would you like me to cover next: bad, small, happy, tired? Let me know!

This is part of the series “Words for different levels of…”.