different between stupendous vs extraordinary

English

Etymology

First attested from 1547, from Late Latin stupendus (“stunning, amazing”), from Latin stupeo (“(I) am stunned”). Compare stupid. See Latin stupeo for more.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /stu?p?nd?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /stju?p?nd?s/
• Rhymes: -?nd?s

Adjective

stupendous (comparative more stupendous, superlative most stupendous)

1. Astonishingly great or large; huge; enormous.

   One cannot appreciate how stupendous the Matterhorn is without seeing it.

2. Of stunning excellence or degree; marvelous.

   The renovator created a stupendous new look for our house.

Synonyms

• colossal, enormous, huge, marvelous, prodigious, terrific, tremendous
• See also Thesaurus:gigantic

Derived terms

• stupendously
• stupendousness

Related terms

• stupid
• stupor

Translations

References

• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.

English

Alternative forms

• extra-ordinary
• extraördinary (rare)

Etymology

From Latin extr??rdin?rius, from extr? ?rdinem (“outside the order”); equivalent to extra- +? ordinary. Doublet of extraordinaire.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?ks?t???(?)d?n??i/, /?ks?t???(?)d?n?i/, /??kst?????(?)d?n??i/, /??kst?????(?)d?n?i/
• Hyphenation: ex?traor?di?na?ry

Adjective

extraordinary (comparative more extraordinary, superlative most extraordinary)

1. Not ordinary; exceptional; unusual.
2. Remarkably good.

3. Special or supernumerary.

   the physician extraordinary in a royal household

   an extraordinary professor in a German university

Synonyms

• exceptional
• unparalleled
• noteworthy
• outstanding

Antonyms

• everyday, normal, ordinary, regular, usual

Derived terms

• extraordinary optical transmission
• extraordinary professor
• extraordinary rendition

Translations

Noun

extraordinary (plural extraordinaries)

1. Anything that goes beyond what is ordinary.
   • 1787, The New Annual Register

     […] the sum that will probably be wanted for each head of service during the year: it is divided into the ordinary, and the extraordinaries.