monumental
Monumental (adj) means Extremely large, impressive, or grand in scale. Example: “Building the canal was a monumental engineering achievement.”
How to use monumental
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHuge, impressive, or historically important — often used for achievements, mistakes, or tasks.
Often used ironically for failures, as in "a monumental blunder" — it doesn't always mean something positive.
Word forms
more monumental comparative, most monumental superlative
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Building the canal was a _____ engineering achievement.
Etymology
From Late Latin monumentalis, built on Latin monumentum ("monument") plus the adjective suffix -al.
Rhymes for monumental
Frequently asked questions
What does “monumental” mean?
The word “monumental” means extremely large, impressive, or grand in scale. In plain terms, huge, impressive, or historically important — often used for achievements, mistakes, or tasks.
How do you pronounce “monumental”?
“Monumental” is pronounced mon-yuu-MEHN-tuhl (/ˌmɒnjʊˈmɛntəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “monumental” in a sentence?
Here is “monumental” used in a sentence: “Building the canal was a monumental engineering achievement.”
What part of speech is “monumental”?
“Monumental” is an adjective.
Where does the word “monumental” come from?
The word “monumental” comes from Late Latin. From Late Latin monumentalis, built on Latin monumentum ("monument") plus the adjective suffix -al.
Is “monumental” a common word?
“Monumental” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “monumental” have?
“Monumental” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely large, impressive, or grand in scale.