cyclopean

adjective

ˌsī-klə-ˈpē-ən How to pronounce cyclopean (audio)
Definition of cyclopeannext
as in giant
unusually large a cyclopean granite statue that the dictator himself had commissioned

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cyclopean As a result, both cellular lineages were incorporated into a single, ancient, cyclopean eye, which later evolved into the vertebrate eyes. — Federica Sgorbissa, ArsTechnica, 6 Mar. 2026 The wall was built with a range of construction techniques, including cyclopean masonry. — Isis Davis-Marks, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Aug. 2021 Rachmaninoff’s humbling presence, re-encountered, is gigantic, cyclopean. — Joseph Horowitz, WSJ, 17 Sep. 2018 Iran, Syria, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea, Iraq—in a Cyclopean cellar wrapped in near-total darkness. — Ali Arkady, Smithsonian, 2 May 2017 Vividly monumental aggregates of cyclopean arches, inverted pyramids, louvered domes, layered patterns and saturated colors—this is not the rigidly principled modernism of Le Corbusier or the inviolate geometry of Louis Kahn. — Julie V. Iovine, WSJ, 22 Feb. 2017 If a mutation causes sonic hedgehog activity to become too muted, the result can be a birth defect called holoprosencephaly, marked in the most extreme cases by a head with a single, cyclopean eye. — George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cyclopean
  1. giant
  2. gigantic
  3. colossal
  4. vast
  5. enormous
  6. huge
  7. massive
  8. mammoth
Adjective
  • Hardware rich… Engineers have reams of data from all 13 test flights of Starship and its giant booster rocket, known as the Super Heavy.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Returning and reflying both Starship stages is a key component in SpaceX's design for the giant rocket, which will be the largest, most powerful launch vehicle in history once the company works out all its kinks.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of giant
Adjective
  • Kneeling beside the fallen buck, Charles, an avid trophy bowhunter, ran his hands over the gigantic rack.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Lakes Mead and Powell, which are essentially one gigantic reservoir separated by the Grand Canyon, hold just under 60% of the total watercurrently stored in the Colorado River basin.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of gigantic
Adjective
  • Brand New Day’s colossal success can’t just be attributed to the hero’s appeal, however.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • His own aesthetic at Serpentine leans whimsical and colossal.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of colossal
Adjective
  • The Mexican navy searched a vast area of the Pacific Ocean by sea and air, eventually finding the two men floating in a large fishing cooler about 150 miles off the coast of Chiapas, a southern state in Mexico that borders Guatemala.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Masanori Kumagai/Kyodo News via AP Hiraguchi cited surveys showing the vast majority of Japanese supporting the death penalty as an unavoidable option.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of vast
Adjective
  • Tucker is being counted on as a middle-of-the-order presence, but the enormous contract has made every prolonged downturn more difficult to ignore.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers argue that the enormous cliff system triggered prolonged erosion that stripped away vast amounts of rock and helped expose some of North America’s oldest geological formations.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of enormous
Adjective
  • But even when care is available, stigma can still present a huge barrier.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Fifth Round - Romero 10-9 (Lopez 49-46) Romero opened a huge gash over Lopez’s eye with a left hook and then nearly dropped him with a right hand.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • According to a new study published in Geology, the massive escarpment formed around 800 million to 750 million years ago as the ancient supercontinent Rodinia began to break apart.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Coach Keidane McAlpine hopes the Bulldogs, who dominated from start to finish on a massive stage, left a lasting impression.
    — Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of massive
Adjective
  • Warships, mammoth bones and parts of ancient constructions all have emerged from the slumping waters of the Danube, the Rhine and other rivers in the scorching drought that has also disrupted trade, power and water supplies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The mammoth defensive tackle was a Packers seventh-round pick in 2022 and spent his first three years in Green Bay before signing with the Chicago Bears off the Packers’ practice squad in December 2024.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of mammoth

Browse Nearby Words

cyclonic
cyclopean
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Cite this Entry

“Cyclopean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cyclopean. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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