单词 | enormity |
释义 | enormity/ɪˈnɔːmɪti![]() noun (plural enormities) 1 [mass noun] (the enormity of) The great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong: a thorough search disclosed the full enormity of the crime...
1.1(In neutral use) large size or scale: I began to get a sense of the enormity of the task...
Synonyms immensity, vastness, massiveness, hugeness; size, extent, magnitude, expanse, greatness, largeness, bigness rare enormousness 2A grave crime or sin: the enormities of war...
Synonyms wickedness, evilness, vileness, baseness, blackness, depravity; outrageousness, monstrousness, hideousness, dreadfulness, heinousness, awfulness, nastiness, horror, atrocity; villainy, cruelty, inhumanity, mercilessness, brutality, brutalism, bestiality, barbarism, barbarousness, savagery, viciousness rare nefariousness outrage, horror, evil, villainy, atrocity, barbarity, act of brutality, act of savagery, act of wickedness, act of cruelty, abomination, monstrosity, obscenity, iniquity; violation, crime, transgression, wrong, wrongdoing, offence, injury, affront, disgrace, scandal, injustice, abuse; Law malfeasance, tort UsageEnormity traditionally means ‘the extreme scale or seriousness of something bad or morally wrong’, as in residents of the town were struggling to deal with the enormity of the crime. Today, however, a more neutral sense as a synonym for hugeness or immensity, as in he soon discovered the enormity of the task, is common. Some people regard this use as wrong, arguing that enormity in its original sense meant ‘a crime’ and should therefore continue to be used only of contexts in which a negative moral judgement is implied. Nevertheless, the sense is now broadly accepted in standard English, although it generally relates to something difficult, such as a task, challenge, or achievement. OriginLate Middle English: via Old French from Latin enormitas, from enormis, from e- (variant of ex-) 'out of' + norma 'pattern, standard'. The word originally meant 'deviation from legal or moral rectitude' and 'transgression'. Current senses have been influenced by enormous. Rhymes |
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