elephantine

adjective

ˌe-lə-ˈfan-ˌtēn How to pronounce elephantine (audio)
Definition of elephantinenext
as in gigantic
unusually large the wedding reception was held under an elephantine tent on the great lawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elephantine Those boxy fender extensions are open in the rear to channel dirty air coming off the wheels, while a carbon-composite front splitter and an elephantine carbon-fiber rear wing glue the Corolla to the road. — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 1 Nov. 2022 The life of a mastodon, an elephantine creature that roamed across North America 13,000 years ago, has been illuminated by a study of its tusks. — Katie Hunt, CNN, 18 June 2022 Pop goddesses were not diving from the rafters and guitar heroes were not casting elephantine shadows. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2022 Johns’s entire body of work, to go by this elephantine show of more than 500 works, is akin to a trove of Nabokovian love letters — obscure and thwarted, but also punning, mordant, full of life. — Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021 See All Example Sentences for elephantine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elephantine
  1. gigantic
  2. giant
  3. vast
  4. enormous
  5. huge
  6. colossal
  7. massive
  8. mammoth
Adjective
  • The Board leverages the visual engagement potential of a gigantic iPad with the appealing tactility of board games.
    — Kevin Cortez, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • M'Baku is the leader of the Jabari tribe, a Wakandan community that worships a gigantic white gorilla deity.
    — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of gigantic
Adjective
  • The most direct tribute to Tippett came in the battle against two giant droids guarding an overlord’s chamber.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The giant company now called Skydance Media made some commitments to the indie film space in a settlement with a group of Attorneys General who had sued to block the merger.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of giant
Adjective
  • The stellar core implodes into the black hole, and a GRB fueled by a vast amount of material from all around it is born.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In Registan Square on Monday, Rubio’s Uzbek hosts released hundreds of pigeons into the sky and filled the vast space with local pop music.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of vast
Adjective
  • With the enormous distractions and investments in college sports now removed, our institutions of higher learning can focus on their only mission, and that is providing the best, most affordable education on earth for our young people.
    — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Its nuclear reactor gives it enormous endurance without needing to surface or snorkel to operate diesel engines.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of enormous
Adjective
  • Tre Tyus called up from practice squad, the big punt block at the end was huge, and the guys came together and found a way to win.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Video also appears to show a drone striking a huge bridge in the city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • The situation is particularly dire given the film’s colossal budget, which totaled around $180 million.
    — Lou Gomis, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Vikings avoided a colossal mistake in the fourth quarter when Justin Jefferson's throwback near midfield was nearly swiped by the Saints.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of colossal
Adjective
  • Throw in a third massive object, though, and the math gets ridiculously more complicated and difficult to solve.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Wearing impractical stilettos and clutching a massive Stanley cup, Trina is introduced to her new pupils.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of massive
Adjective
  • When Jay encounters a giant squid being chased by a mammoth sperm whale, he’s unwittingly entangled in the former’s tentacles and swallowed up in one extended, terrifying sequence.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sure enough, William Contreras immediately tied it in the bottom of the inning with a mammoth homer to left-center.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of mammoth

Browse Nearby Words

elephant
elephantine
elephants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elephantine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elephantine. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on elephantine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elephantine

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All