The adjective enormous , which comes from the Latin word enormis , allows us to describe one or that thing that has a large size . The enormous, therefore, is larger than usual . For example: “My neighbor has a huge dog that always scares the children,” “The hotel room is huge and very comfortable,” “The president has a huge economic problem to solve.”
The qualification of enormous can refer to the physical dimensions , but also to a symbolic aspect . If a woman claims that her nephew is huge, she will be referring to the child's growth in height. In this case, the adjective is linked to a bodily (material) characteristic. The same thing happens when someone refers to a “huge house” , a “huge plate” or a “huge horse” .
On the other hand, if an employer is worried because he has “enormous difficulties” paying the salaries of his employees, the adjective expresses something abstract, in the sense that it has no physical correlate. These difficulties are enormous due to their complexity: they pose a problem that cannot be solved simply.
In some cases, the notion of enormous can coincide physically and symbolically. A journalist may claim that American basketball player Shaquille O'Neal was a "huge player" either because he is 2.16 meters tall and has a large body wingspan, or because his ability and talent for the sport made him one. one of the most dominant pivots or centers in the NBA in recent decades, winner of four championship rings.
One of the most striking characteristics of this adjective is that depending on the case it can denote a positive or negative aspect, although in its purest meaning it has no relationship with the quality of the noun it modifies. If we say that a rock is huge we are not offering any qualitative data about it: it is very big, but its size does not have to affect us, unless we make it understood through context.
On the other hand, when we claim to have a "huge problem" we do refer to a very arduous difficulty , to a negative situation from which it is very difficult for us to get out with our heads held high, which is why we take advantage of the idea of volume or size to make emphasis on the negative aspect of the problem noun. In this case we can think that the use of the word enormous comes from comparisons with material obstacles that are worse the larger they are, such as a well or a wall that prevent us from continuing to advance.
Similarly, we have cases in which this adjective enhances the positive aspects of the noun, although at first glance it does not seem to have a meaning. For example, when we say "you have given me enormous joy " we give greater weight to the noun joy : if we only said "you have given me great joy" we would be talking about a much less intense sensation. Needless to say, it is impossible to generalize the meaning of these expressions, since each speaker can give them their own nuances.
An "enormous joy" can represent different things, depending on the person who experiences it: that a loved one has been cured of a very serious illness , having passed a college exam, getting a desired job, or that their soccer team favorite has won a tournament are just some of the infinite examples.
In these cases one could also simply speak of "joy", since not everyone expresses themselves with the same degree of exuberance , but many prefer less ornate language. On the other hand, we have the examples of "huge problem", which could well be a leak in the kitchen or a debt that puts the issuer's economy at risk, or even their difficulty deciding what to do on Friday night.