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【Question】Do you usually use the word “massive” in conversational English or a slang?
Jan 20, 2022 3:34 PM
Answers · 13
Somehow we have come to use 'massive' somewhat colorfully to lend a sense of great magnitude. You shouldn't see that in a science journal.
It can feel a lot like slang when it gets paired with an insult that is entirely unrelated to mass, as in 'He is a massive traitor.' But it is very common to (unscientifically) talk about someone's massive heart attack.
January 21, 2022
I use it, its not slang.
January 20, 2022
Yes. It's a legitimate word. It's very slightly technical. It can refer literally to mass = weight = kilograms or tonnes. It can also be used to mean "a lot."
It is used in a straightforward way in slightly formal or technical contexts. Literally, referring to mass,
"Jupiter is a massive planet."
In the sense of "a lot:"
"The US government is spending a massive amount of money on home Covid tests."
Because of it being a somewhat elevated or technical word, it's sometimes used in a half-joking way. You are using a serious word to describe something silly or unimportant. For example:
"This is a steak restaurant. Don't order fish here. That would be a massive mistake."
"Prince Harry is a massive headache for Queen Elizabeth."
January 20, 2022
Massive is not slang. It is an actual word that means... well, *massive*. When we use it colloquially, it is often an exaggeration of something large. A lot of times, something massive is just that, massive, but can be subjective depending on how big something should be in comparison with something normal.
Examples:
He has a massive nose. (Larger than normal, but not exactly a nice thing to say.)
Jupiter is massive compared to Earth. (Jupiter is massive, so this is quite true.)
January 20, 2022
I personally use it literally, in conversational English, to describe something that is really big.
I have rarely heard it as slang.
January 20, 2022
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Turá
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