adj
Uncommon
monumental
mon-yuu-MEHN-tuhl
Monumental (adj) means Extremely large, impressive, or grand in scale. Example: “Building the canal was a monumental engineering achievement.”
adj
1
Extremely large, impressive, or grand in scale.
"Building the canal was a monumental engineering achievement."
"They faced a monumental task in rebuilding the entire coastline after the storm."
"Moving the whole library to the new building was a monumental job."
2
Relating to or resembling a monument.
"The building's monumental staircase was designed to impress visiting dignitaries."
"The city square is surrounded by monumental arches and tall stone columns."
"Visitors admired the monumental sculpture standing at the centre of the park."
How to use monumental
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHuge, impressive, or historically important — often used for achievements, mistakes, or tasks.
Common mistake
Often used ironically for failures, as in "a monumental blunder" — it doesn't always mean something positive.
Common pairings
monumental task
monumental achievement
monumental mistake
monumental scale
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more monumental
- Superlative
- most monumental
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.
Synonyms
View more →
monolithic
massive
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for monumental
mental
dental
rental
parental
Oriental
elemental
accidental
ornamental
judgmental
incidental
regimental
incremental
See all 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.
