| 释义 |
Definition of enormity in English: enormitynounPlural enormities ɪˈnɔːmɪtiɪˈnɔrmədi 1the enormity ofmass noun The great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong. 穷凶极恶 a thorough search disclosed the full enormity of the crime 彻底的调查充分揭露了该罪行的残暴程度。 Example sentencesExamples - The bald figures of lives prematurely ended, of families bereaved before they should have been, however, barely hint at the enormity of the crime this man committed.
- ‘When you are dealing with murder, the enormity of the crime is such that there is no other appropriate sentence only a mandatory life sentence,’ he said.
- Our gestures and words can seem small in the face of such enormity.
- They should be incarcerated for decades to contemplate the enormity of their crimes.
- There is, indeed, a sense of frustration with the difficulty, complexity and enormity of the issues that surround Family Law.
- Even when the full enormity of the earthquake sank in, the scientists were at a loss to know what to do.
- That is why to me in a crisis of this enormity, I want to know the pure ‘news’ first before I can process the rest of it.
- Even as the full enormity of the attack continued to sink in, Nato and the UN Security Council were falling in behind the US line.
- Some have defended plays about the notorious killings by reasoning that they serve to remind people of the enormity of the crimes.
- Even two months later, the enormity of the crime has not totally sunk in.
- I am of course worried for him - you cannot ignore the threats, they had such enormity.
- The full enormity of the tragedy has now emerged, and large sums of money have been pledged.
- The complexity and enormity of the problem - it was out of our experience.
- Knowing that there were moments such as these does nothing to diminish a sense of the enormity and horror of what went on.
- This because the horror, the scale, the quantitative enormity and ‘serial’ nature of the crimes had exceeded any individual legal responsibility.
- Like all the figures churned out in the aftermath of the tsunami, bewildering in their range and enormity, it can only be an estimate and will remain so for some time.
- She gasped as she realized the full enormity of the situation.
- 1.1 (in neutral use) large size or scale.
（中性用法）巨大；广大 I began to get a sense of the enormity of the task Example sentencesExamples - With the multi-million euro shopping centre at its Shandon location now in full swing the enormity of its benefit to the overall economy of the town can hardly be overstated.
- Considering the physical and societal enormity of China, however, the number of photographs devoted to the western provinces seems disproportionate.
- When someone of that enormity is taken out of your life in the present, someone who's been there as a part of your life for 30 years, as in my case, obviously, it's going to leave a void.
- Such tools can create the illusion of enormity in a small room, or conversely create intimacy in vast spaces.
- The Government has not grasped the full enormity of what is happening to this industry.
- At this stage I have not had the opportunity to review the draft plan at the Council chambers so do not know the full enormity of the plan.
Synonyms immensity, vastness, massiveness, hugeness size, extent, magnitude, expanse, greatness, largeness, bigness rare enormousness
2A grave crime or sin. 暴行；滔天大罪 Example sentencesExamples - Such bloodstained enormities pass unnoticed now in a media pummelled into numbness by a government at last bereft of any moral sense or shame.
- Henderson would carry into battle a keen humour and surrealistic artistry as a civilising force to offset the enormities of war.
- Before the human and financial enormities of that conflict, leaders and citizens assumed that wars were what countries did.
- Men cease to be surprised at the most hideous moral enormities.
- There is no doubt that the person to be tried committed criminal enormities.
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. Rhymesconformity, deformity, multiformity, uniformity Definition of enormity in US English: enormitynouniˈnôrmədēɪˈnɔrmədi 1the enormity ofThe great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong. 穷凶极恶 a thorough search disclosed the full enormity of the crime 彻底的调查充分揭露了该罪行的残暴程度。 Example sentencesExamples - This because the horror, the scale, the quantitative enormity and ‘serial’ nature of the crimes had exceeded any individual legal responsibility.
- ‘When you are dealing with murder, the enormity of the crime is such that there is no other appropriate sentence only a mandatory life sentence,’ he said.
- Even when the full enormity of the earthquake sank in, the scientists were at a loss to know what to do.
- The complexity and enormity of the problem - it was out of our experience.
- Even two months later, the enormity of the crime has not totally sunk in.
- Even as the full enormity of the attack continued to sink in, Nato and the UN Security Council were falling in behind the US line.
- That is why to me in a crisis of this enormity, I want to know the pure ‘news’ first before I can process the rest of it.
- Our gestures and words can seem small in the face of such enormity.
- Knowing that there were moments such as these does nothing to diminish a sense of the enormity and horror of what went on.
- She gasped as she realized the full enormity of the situation.
- They should be incarcerated for decades to contemplate the enormity of their crimes.
- I am of course worried for him - you cannot ignore the threats, they had such enormity.
- Like all the figures churned out in the aftermath of the tsunami, bewildering in their range and enormity, it can only be an estimate and will remain so for some time.
- The bald figures of lives prematurely ended, of families bereaved before they should have been, however, barely hint at the enormity of the crime this man committed.
- There is, indeed, a sense of frustration with the difficulty, complexity and enormity of the issues that surround Family Law.
- The full enormity of the tragedy has now emerged, and large sums of money have been pledged.
- Some have defended plays about the notorious killings by reasoning that they serve to remind people of the enormity of the crimes.
- 1.1 (in neutral use) large size or scale.
（中性用法）巨大；广大 I began to get a sense of the enormity of the task Example sentencesExamples - When someone of that enormity is taken out of your life in the present, someone who's been there as a part of your life for 30 years, as in my case, obviously, it's going to leave a void.
- At this stage I have not had the opportunity to review the draft plan at the Council chambers so do not know the full enormity of the plan.
- Such tools can create the illusion of enormity in a small room, or conversely create intimacy in vast spaces.
- The Government has not grasped the full enormity of what is happening to this industry.
- With the multi-million euro shopping centre at its Shandon location now in full swing the enormity of its benefit to the overall economy of the town can hardly be overstated.
- Considering the physical and societal enormity of China, however, the number of photographs devoted to the western provinces seems disproportionate.
Synonyms immensity, vastness, massiveness, hugeness
2A grave crime or sin. 暴行；滔天大罪 the enormities of the regime 希特勒政权的滔天罪行。 Example sentencesExamples - Before the human and financial enormities of that conflict, leaders and citizens assumed that wars were what countries did.
- Such bloodstained enormities pass unnoticed now in a media pummelled into numbness by a government at last bereft of any moral sense or shame.
- Henderson would carry into battle a keen humour and surrealistic artistry as a civilising force to offset the enormities of war.
- Men cease to be surprised at the most hideous moral enormities.
- There is no doubt that the person to be tried committed criminal enormities.
Synonyms wickedness, evilness, vileness, baseness, blackness, depravity outrage, horror, evil, villainy, atrocity, barbarity, act of brutality, act of savagery, act of wickedness, act of cruelty, abomination, monstrosity, obscenity, iniquity
UsageEnormity traditionally means ‘the extreme scale or seriousness of something bad or morally wrong,’ as in they 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 ‘an extreme wickedness’ and should therefore continue to be used only of contexts in which a negative moral judgment is implied. Nevertheless, the sense of 'great size' 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. |