VAST


Meaning of VAST in English

vast S3 W2 /vɑːst $ væst/ BrE AmE adjective

[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: vastus 'empty, desolate, very large' ]

1 . extremely large SYN huge

vast amounts/numbers/quantities/sums etc (of something)

The government will have to borrow vast amounts of money.

The refugees come across the border in vast numbers.

vast areas/expanses/tracts etc (of something)

vast areas of rainforest

In the past five years, there has been a vast improvement in graduation rates.

2 . the vast majority (of something) used when you want to emphasize that something is true about almost all of a group of people or things:

The vast majority of books on the subject are complete rubbish.

—vastness noun [uncountable]

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THESAURUS

■ very big

▪ huge/massive/enormous extremely big:

The table was enormous.

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a huge explosion

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Their house is huge.

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There is a huge amount of work to be done.

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There has been a massive increase in oil prices.

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The company is massive, operating in 150 countries.

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A massive fire destroyed more than thirty homes.

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He’s been under an enormous amount of stress recently.

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The changes will have an enormous impact.

▪ great [only before noun] very big – used especially to describe the level or number of something:

He achieved great success in America.

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The college offers a great number of courses.

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a great advantage

▪ vast extremely big – used about areas, distances, numbers, or amounts:

vast areas of rainforest

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A vast number of tourists visit the island every year.

▪ gigantic extremely big and much bigger than other things of the same type:

Gigantic waves crashed onto the beach.

▪ colossal extremely big – used about amounts or objects:

James ran up a colossal phone bill.

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a colossal statue of Napoleon

▪ tremendous having an extremely big effect:

There have been some tremendous changes.

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My new job will be a tremendous challenge.

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The children were making a tremendous amount of noise.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.