The difference between enormity and enormousness

grammar

We are almost sure you have made this mistake over and over and again but not to worry, that’s why we are here.

You probably think the words in today’s topic are interchangeable but in actual fact, they are not.

Enormity and enormousness mean two different things and we’d tell you what.

Enormity is originally used to describe something that is overwhelmingly horrible. While enormousness is used to describe something huge. However enormity is now used in place of enormousness which is not right.

It usually confuses people in sentences when it could mean either of the two.

Look at this example

The enormity of the landslide daunted the clean-up crew.

Due to confusion with enormous, the word enormity is widely used as a synonym for immensity, but many people consider this use incorrect.

Strictly speaking, enormity refers to the dreadfulness or atrociousness of something bad, and as such should only be used in a negative context – so you can discuss “the enormity of a person’s crime”, but not “the enormity of the crowd at a music festival” (unless it’s a pretty unpleasant crowd).

Do you understand the difference now?

 

 

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