German word

gewaltig

Pronunciation

IPA/gəˈvaltɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectivehuge

Example

Die gewaltige Welle zerstörte das Dorf.

The huge wave destroyed the village.

Illustration for gewaltig (huge)

More examples

Seine gewaltige Stimme war von weitem zu hören.

His powerful voice could be heard from far away.

Core concept

Something so immense or forceful that it overwhelms people and the surrounding scene.

Common phrases

  • gewaltige Macht

    immense power

  • gewaltige Schäden

    enormous damage

  • gewaltige Menge

    huge quantity

Similar words

riesig: Very large in size, extent, or physical spread.
enorm: Extremely great in amount, degree, or intensity.
gigantisch: So huge that its size seems beyond ordinary human imagination.
kolossal: Extraordinarily large in scale or impact.

Definition in German

So groß oder so stark, dass es stark beeindruckt oder überwältigt; betont Ausmaß und Kraft.

Word origin

The adjective gewaltig derives from Gewalt and preserves the idea of exceptional force while also describing exceptional size.

Usage tips

  • Gewaltig does not necessarily imply violence; a building, success, amount, or natural event can also be gewaltig.

Other meanings

  • vastadjective
  • extremelyadverb
  • powerfuladjective

Opposites

Related words

  • gewalttätigviolentadjective
  • Gewaltanwendunguse of violencenoun

Word lists with this word