The word "immense" is spelled with a double "m" and a single "s" because of its origin from the Latin word "immensus." The stress falls on the second syllable, and the IPA phonetic transcription is /ɪˈmɛns/. The first letter "i" is pronounced as a short vowel sound /ɪ/. The "m" is pronounced with the lips together, creating a nasal sound /m/. The "s" is pronounced with a hissing sound /s/. Overall, "immense" is a word describing something enormous or vast.
The term "immense" is an adjective referring to something that is extremely large in size, scope, or extent. It denotes something of extraordinary magnitude or immense proportions. The word is often used to describe vast, extensive, or enormous objects or concepts.
When applied to physical objects, "immense" emphasizes their colossal size or volume. For instance, it can refer to an immense mountain range that stretches across hundreds of kilometers or an immense skyscraper soaring high into the clouds. In these contexts, "immense" suggests an overwhelming sense of grandeur and scale.
However, "immense" is not restricted to physical objects. It can also describe things that are abstract or intangible, such as an immense amount of knowledge or an immense level of achievement. In these cases, "immense" conveys the idea of something exceptionally great or profound. For instance, an immense talent may refer to a person with exceptional skills, or an immense challenge may denote an incredibly difficult task.
Furthermore, "immense" can signify emotional states, such as immense joy or immense sorrow, indicating intense feelings that are profound or overwhelming in their magnitude.
Overall, "immense" conveys the notion of something incredibly large, vast, or profound, whether in terms of physical size, quantity, abstract concepts, or emotional intensity. Its usage paints a picture of the extraordinary scale or significance of the subject it describes.
Very large; enormous; boundless.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word immense originated from the Latin word immensus, which is derived from the prefix in- meaning not or un- and the root word mensus meaning to measure. Therefore, immensus can be understood as not measurable or unmeasured. The term immense was introduced to the English language in the late 15th century with the meaning immeasurable or enormous.