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Monumental

adj. capable, resilient formal

What it means

Exceptionally great in scale, effort, importance, or lasting consequence.

Reach for it when giving high praise to an achievement or change whose magnitude is genuinely unusual

Restoring the river's natural course was a monumental achievement.

Words to choose between 10

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
playful
everyday
warm
professional
formal
literary

  • playful

    colossal

    Fits when extreme physical or figurative size deserves vivid emphasis

    Careful Colossal can sound comic and says little about value.

  • everyday

    immense

    Fits when sheer size or degree is central

    Careful Immense does not establish importance or lasting consequence.

  • warm

    tremendous

    Suits strong praise of great scale, effort, or effect

    Careful Tremendous is broad and often promotional.

  • professional

    historic

    Fits when an event marks an important change likely to be remembered

    Careful Historic is overused and requires evidence beyond being large or first.

  • professional

    major

    Fits when importance or scale is substantial but not extraordinary

    Careful Major is more measured and may understate truly exceptional magnitude.

  • formal

    far-reaching

    Fits when consequences extend across many areas or years

    Careful Far-reaching concerns breadth, not the size of the achievement itself.

  • formal

    landmark

    Fits when an achievement becomes a reference point for later work

    Careful Landmark is comparative and may be premature for a recent event.

  • literary

    epochal

    Fits when a change defines an era

    Careful Epochal is an extreme historical claim unsuitable for most achievements.

  • literary

    herculean

    Fits when extraordinary effort is the defining feature

    Careful Herculean emphasizes labor and can romanticize overwork.

  • literary

    towering

    Fits when achievement or reputation rises far above peers

    Careful Towering is comparative and can overcenter one person.

Opposites 3

  • minor
  • trivial
  • insignificant

Common phrases 4

  • monumental achievement

    Completing the accessible trail was a monumental achievement for the small team.

  • monumental task

    Cataloging the damaged archive became a monumental task.

  • monumental change

    Universal voting rights represented a monumental change in public life.

  • truly monumental

    The restoration was truly monumental in both scale and patience.

Usage notes

Keep in mind

Monumental is a high claim. Use major or substantial unless scale, effort, or consequence is genuinely exceptional.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated