enorme
Lemma Details
Translation: enormous; huge; immense; vast; gigantic; tremendous
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: From Latin 'enormis' meaning 'out of the norm' or 'irregular', which comes from 'e-' (out of) + 'norma' (rule, norm, pattern). The English cognate 'enormous' shares the same Latin root. The word originally referred to something that deviated from the normal standard, particularly in size, but evolved to specifically denote exceptional largeness.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El edificio es enorme.
The building is enormous.
Tiene un problema enorme.
He has a huge problem.
Hicieron un esfuerzo enorme para terminar a tiempo.
They made a tremendous effort to finish on time.
Hay una diferencia enorme entre las dos propuestas.
There is a vast difference between the two proposals.
Sentí una alegría enorme cuando me dieron la noticia.
I felt immense joy when they gave me the news.
Mnemonics
- Think 'e-NORM-e' - something that goes beyond the NORM in size.
- Sounds like 'enormous' in English, which has the same meaning.
- Picture an elephant (an enormous animal) when you hear 'enorme'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Widely used in everyday Spanish conversation and writing. Often used as an intensifier in colloquial speech to emphasize the magnitude of something, whether physical or abstract (like emotions or challenges).
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'enorme' means 'enormous' or 'huge', 'normal' means 'normal' or 'regular'. They look somewhat similar but have opposite meanings - 'enorme' refers to something exceptional in size, while 'normal' refers to something standard or typical.
Notes: Ironically, these words have related etymologies - 'enorme' comes from Latin 'enormis' meaning 'out of norm', while 'normal' comes from Latin 'normalis' meaning 'according to norm'.
Mnemonic: Remember that 'enorme' has an 'e' at both ends, like something that has been stretched out to become huge.
Explanation: 'Enorme' means 'enormous', while 'informe' means 'report' or 'shapeless/formless'. They look and sound similar but have completely different meanings.
Notes: The 'in-' prefix in 'informe' can mean 'without' (as in shapeless) or can be related to 'in' (as in the noun report).
Mnemonic: 'Informe' contains 'inform', which is what reports do - they inform.