Describing Size and Scale: English Vocabulary List

Explore 21 English words about describing size and scale with pronunciation, definitions and example sentences.

21 words IELTS 8-9 Vocabulary List
thundering /ˈθəndɝɪŋ/ adjective

having an enormous or colossal size

"A thundering giant appeared."

"The thundering herd of wildebeest crossed the savanna in a magnificent display of nature's power."

gargantuan /ɡɑɹˈɡæntʃuən/ adjective

having an immense size

"The meal was gargantuan."

"The gargantuan meal could have fed ten people but he ate it all by himself and still wanted dessert."

jumbo /ˈdʒəmboʊ/ adjective

extremely large in size

"He ordered a jumbo pizza."

"The airline charged an extra fee for jumbo luggage because bags that are too large do not fit in the overhead bins."

whopping /ˈwɑpɪŋ/ adjective

very impressive, especially in amount or degree

"She paid a whopping price."

"The company paid a whopping fine for violating environmental regulations and the CEO promised that it would never happen again."

humongous /hjuˈmɔŋɡəs/ adjective

extremely large in size

"The truck is humongous."

"The humongous pumpkin won first prize at the county fair because it weighed over five hundred pounds and was perfectly shaped."

brobdingnagian /ˌbɹɔbdɪɡˈnæɡiən/ adjective

extremely large

"The brobdingnagian building stood."

"The brobdingnagian statue dominated the city skyline, a testament to the sculptor's immense talent and vision."

ginormous /dʒˈɪnoːɹməs/ adjective

extremely large in size

"Her house is ginormous."

"The ginormous teddy bear was too big to fit in the car so the child had to leave it at the store."

colossal /kəˈɫɑsəɫ/ adjective

extremely large in size or scale

"The statue is colossal."

"The colossal statue of the king stood at the entrance of the palace and it was visible from every corner of the city."

thumping /ˈθəmpɪŋ/ adjective

having significant or impressive size and scale

"A thumping victory was won."

"The company celebrated a thumping victory at the annual awards ceremony, receiving recognition for their innovative products."

walloping /ˈwɔɫəpɪŋ/ adjective

extremely large, powerful, or impressive in size or impact

"A walloping blow was struck."

"The team suffered a walloping defeat and they lost the game by thirty points which was their worst loss of the entire season."

infinitesimal /ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtɛsɪməɫ/ adjective

extremely small, almost to the point of being unnoticeable

"The chance is infinitesimal."

"The chance of winning the lottery is infinitesimal so you should not spend all your money on tickets expecting to get rich."

titchy /tˈɪtʃi/ adjective

extremely tiny

"The puppy is titchy."

"The titchy kitten fit in the palm of her hand and it weighed less than a pound when it was born."

shrimpy /ʃɹˈɪmpi/ adjective

small in size or stature

"He is shrimpy."

"The shrimpy boy was the smallest in his class but he was also the fastest runner and nobody could beat him in a race."

homuncular /həmˈʌnkjʊlɚ/ adjective

resembling or related to a small, artificially created human or humanoid figure, often used in a metaphorical sense

"The homuncular figure watched."

"The homuncular figure in the painting was tiny compared to the giant trees and mountains that surrounded it in the background."

vest-pocket /vˈɛstpˈɑːkɪt/ adjective

small enough to fit in a vest pocket

"This is a vest-pocket park."

"The vest-pocket park is only big enough for a few benches and a small fountain but it is a nice place to rest."

wee /ˈwi/ adjective

(Scottish) very small in size

"The baby is wee."

"The wee baby slept peacefully in her crib and her parents watched her through the baby monitor from the living room."

distend /dɪˈstɛnd/ verb

to expand, swell, or stretch beyond the normal or usual size

"His stomach distended after the large meal."

"His stomach began to distend after he ate too much food at the all you can eat buffet."

magnification /ˌmæɡnəfəˈkeɪʃən/ noun

the act or process of making something appear larger or more detailed

"The magnification of the microscope made the tiny cells easy to see."

"Magnification is the process of enlarging the apparent size of an object through an optical instrument without physically changing its actual dimensions."

stupendous /stuˈpɛndəs/ adjective

extremely astonishing in extent or degree

"The fireworks were stupendous."

"The magician performed a stupendous trick that made a helicopter appear on stage and the audience gasped in amazement."

prodigious /pɹəˈdɪdʒəs/ adjective

impressively great in amount or degree

"He has a prodigious appetite."

"The young musician had a prodigious talent for playing the piano and he could perform complex pieces without looking at the sheet music."

ickle /ˈaɪkəl/ adjective

very tiny in size

"The kitten is ickle."

"The ickle baby bird had fallen from its nest and the kind girl gently picked it up and placed it back in the tree."

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