gargantuan

English

Etymology

From French Gargantua, a giant with a very large appetite in Rabelais's The Inestimable Life of Gargantua. Rabelais derived Gargantua from the Portuguese and Spanish garganta (throat).

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ɡɑɹˈɡæn.tʃu.ən/
  • (file)

Adjective

gargantuan (comparative more gargantuan, superlative most gargantuan)

  1. (obsolete) Of the giant Gargantua or his appetite.
  2. Huge; immense; tremendous.
    • 2018 May 4, Tom English, “Steven Gerrard: A 'seriously clever or recklessly stupid' Rangers appointment”, in BBC Sport:
      Some distant observers of the Scottish football scene reckon that all - all! - Gerrard has to do is beat Celtic to become a legend. Even if that was true - and, demonstrably, it is not - then it would be a gargantuan task all on its own.

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References

  • (etymology) Gourd, Pumpkin. See Budge Ref, p 803A; (from 'Rev 12'--Revue Egyptologique publiee sous la direction de MM Brugsch, F Chabas, and Eug. Revillout (vol I-XIV))
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