In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
PRODIGIOUS
colossal, prodigious, stupendous
(adjective) so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe; “colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple”; “has a colossal nerve”; “a prodigious storm”; “a stupendous field of grass”; “stupendous demand”
exceeding, exceptional, olympian, prodigious, surpassing
(adjective) far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree; “a night of exceeding darkness”; “an exceptional memory”; “olympian efforts to save the city from bankruptcy”; “the young Mozart’s prodigious talents”
portentous, prodigious
(adjective) of momentous or ominous significance; “such a portentous...monster raised all my curiosity”- Herman Melville; “a prodigious vision”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
prodigious (comparative more prodigious, superlative most prodigious)
Very big in size or quantity; gigantic; colossal; huge.
Extraordinarily exciting or amazing.
(obsolete) Ominous, portentous.
Monstrous; freakish.
Synonyms
• gigantic, colossal, huge, enormous; See also gigantic
• amazing
• ominous, portentous
Source: Wiktionary
Pro*di"gious, a. Etym: [L. prodigiosus, fr. prodigium a prodigy; cf. F. prodigieux. See Prodigy.]
1. Of the nature of a prodigy; marvelous; wonderful; portentous. [Obs. or R.] Spenser. It is prodigious to have thunder in a clear sky. Sir T. Browne.
2. Extraordinary in bulk, extent, quantity, or degree; very great; vast; huge; immense; as, a prodigious mountain; a prodigious creature; a prodigious blunder. "Prodigious might." Milton.
Syn.
– Huge; enormous; monstrous; portentous; marvelous; amazing; astonishing; extraordinary.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
9 May 2025
RIGHT
(noun) anything in accord with principles of justice; “he feels he is in the right”; “the rightfulness of his claim”
Coffee Trivia