Enormity: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Enormity noun. Great wickedness, or a deeply wicked act.
How to say it
ih-NOR-mih-tee/ɪˈnɔːmɪti/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (NOR). Forms: enormities.
Enormity in a sentence
Only years later did the full enormity of the crime come to light.
The tribunal heard of enormities committed during the war.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- wickedness
- atrocity
- outrage
- monstrousness
Careful
Traditionally enormity means monstrous wickedness, not just great size. 'The enormity of the task' is now accepted by most dictionaries, but it can sound like a moral judgement.
Where enormity comes from
From Latin enormitas, from enormis, out of the norm.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The tribunal heard of _____ committed during the war.
- epicentre
- enormity
- cohort
Show the answer
enormity: The tribunal heard of enormities committed during the war.