adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/stuˈpɛndəs/
Received-Pronunciation:/stjuˈpɛndəs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛndəs
CMU ARPABET:S T UW0 P EH1 N D AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Astonishingly great or large; huge; enormous.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
One cannot appreciate how stupendous the Matterhorn is without seeing it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of stunning excellence or degree; marvelous.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The renovator created a stupendous new look for our house.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple
has a colossal nerve
a prodigious storm
a stupendous field of grass
stupendous demand
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: colossal, prodigious
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
First attested from 1547, from Late Latin stupendus (“stunning, amazing”), from the verb stupeō (“(I) am stunned”). Doublet of stupend (which is obsolete), and related to stupor and stupid.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
изумителен
(izumitelen)
— astonishingly great or large
Dutch:
verbazend
— astonishingly great or large
Dutch:
verbazingwekkend
— astonishingly great or large
Dutch:
kolossaal
— astonishingly great or large
Dutch:
overweldigend
— astonishingly great or large
Esperanto:
kolosa
— astonishingly great or large
French:
merveilleux
— astonishingly great or large
Hindi:
विस्मयकारी
(vismaykārī)
— astonishingly great or large
Hindi:
ग़ज़ब
(ġazab)
— astonishingly great or large
Japanese:
途轍もない
(totetsumonai)
— astonishingly great or large
Macedonian:
о́громен
(ógromen)
— astonishingly great or large
Macedonian:
колоса́лен
(kolosálen)
— astonishingly great or large
Norwegian:
fantastisk
— astonishingly great or large
Russian:
грома́дный
(gromádnyj)
— astonishingly great or large
Russian:
огро́мный
(ogrómnyj)
— astonishingly great or large
Russian:
колосса́льный
(kolossálʹnyj)
— astonishingly great or large
Spanish:
groso
— astonishingly great or large
Bulgarian:
поразителен
(porazitelen)
— of stunning excellence
Hungarian:
rendkívüli
— of stunning excellence
Japanese:
途轍もない
(totetsumonai)
— of stunning excellence
Macedonian:
изво́нреден
(izvónreden)
— of stunning excellence
Macedonian:
неверо́јатен
(neverójaten)
— of stunning excellence
Portuguese:
estupendo
— of stunning excellence
Russian:
грандио́зный
(grandióznyj)
— of stunning excellence
Russian:
изуми́тельный
(izumítelʹnyj)
— of stunning excellence
