noun
enormity
Extreme moral wrongness.
The diverted emergency supplies reveal the enormity of the official’s wrongdoing.
Etymology
The Latin noun concerns departure from the norm or rule. In the moral sense, the departure is extreme wrongdoing that violates accepted standards profoundly.
In context
When we got here we could see that ahead of us everything was consumed by fire, coming towards us at such a high speed. We suddenly realized the enormity of the situation.
More examples
- She condemned the act’s moral enormity.
- The testimony revealed the enormity of the abuse.
- The historian refused to minimize the enormity of the atrocity.
Forms
enormity
Similar words
- atrocity
- An atrocity is an extremely cruel act; enormity can mean its extreme moral wrongness.
- wickedness
- Wickedness is moral evil generally; enormity emphasizes an extreme degree.