enormity
pronunciation
How to pronounce enormity in British English:
UK [ɪˈnɔ:məti]
How to pronounce enormity in American English:
US [ɪˈnɔrməti]
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- Noun:
- the quality of being outrageous
- vastness of size or extent
- the quality of extreme wickedness
- an act of extreme wickedness
Word Origin
- enormity (n.)
- late 15c., "transgression, crime; irregularity," from Old French enormité "extravagance, atrocity, heinous sin," from Latin enormitatem (nominative enormitas) "hugeness, vastness; irregularity," from enormis "irregular, huge" (see enormous). Meaning "extreme wickedness" in English attested from 1560s. The notion is of that which surpasses the endurable limits of order, right, decency. Sense of "hugeness" (1765 in English) is etymological but to prevent misunderstanding probably best avoided in favor of enormousness, though this, too, originally meant "immeasurable wickedness" (1718) and didn't start to mean "hugeness" until c. 1800.
Example
- 1. That gives some idea of the enormity of apple 's recent success on the back of the iphone and ipad .
- 2. The enormity of the duke and duchess of cambridge 's global influence is daunting , especially for kate , whose look is admired , copied and analysed everywhere .
- 3. The expense and enormity of interstellar travel might compel extraterrestrial civilizations to say home and instead transmit images and information about their biology in the hopes of finding interstellar pen pals .
- 4. The biggest challenge is the psychological adjustment to understand the enormity of the world cup the role that each one of us must play in making the event a success .
- 5. He frets about sewage in north gaza , but is also worried that europe and the us have still not grasped the enormity of the shift of power to asia .