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<blockquote data-quote="Hypersmurf" data-source="post: 3138619" data-attributes="member: 1656">AHD?Okay, how about Merriam-Webster?&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Usage: Enormity, some people insist, is improperly used to denote large size. They insist on enormousness for this meaning, and would limit enormity to the meaning &quot;great wickedness.&quot; Those who urge such a limitation may not recognize the subtlety with which enormity is actually used. It regularly denotes a considerable departure from the expected or normal &lt;they awakened; they sat up; and then the enormity of their situation burst upon them. &quot;How did the fire start?&quot; -- John Steinbeck&gt;. When used to denote large size, either literal or figurative, it usually suggests something so large as to seem overwhelming &lt;no intermediate zone of study. Either the enormity of the desert or the sight of a tiny flower -- Paul Theroux&gt; &lt;the enormity of the task of teachers in slum schools -- J. B. Conant&gt; and may even be used to suggest both great size and deviation from morality &lt;the enormity of existing stockpiles of atomic weapons -- New Republic&gt;. It can also emphasize the momentousness of what has happened &lt;the sombre enormity of the Russian Revolution -- George Steiner&gt; or of its consequences &lt;perceived as no one in the family could the enormity of the misfortune -- E. L. Doctorow&gt;. -Hyp.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hypersmurf, post: 3138619, member: 1656"] AHD? Okay, how about Merriam-Webster? :) [indent]Usage: Enormity, some people insist, is improperly used to denote large size. They insist on enormousness for this meaning, and would limit enormity to the meaning "great wickedness." Those who urge such a limitation may not recognize the subtlety with which enormity is actually used. It regularly denotes a considerable departure from the expected or normal <they awakened; they sat up; and then the enormity of their situation burst upon them. "How did the fire start?" -- John Steinbeck>. When used to denote large size, either literal or figurative, it usually suggests something so large as to seem overwhelming <no intermediate zone of study. Either the enormity of the desert or the sight of a tiny flower -- Paul Theroux> <the enormity of the task of teachers in slum schools -- J. B. Conant> and may even be used to suggest both great size and deviation from morality <the enormity of existing stockpiles of atomic weapons -- New Republic>. It can also emphasize the momentousness of what has happened <the sombre enormity of the Russian Revolution -- George Steiner> or of its consequences <perceived as no one in the family could the enormity of the misfortune -- E. L. Doctorow>. [/indent] -Hyp. [/QUOTE]

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