enormous times

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "enormous times" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It could be used to emphasize a significant or vast amount of time, but it is not a standard expression. Example: "The project took enormous times to complete, far longer than we anticipated."

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

His editorial critique of the Times is familiar — that it pays more attention to the lives of its upper-middle-class readers and to "celebrity culture" than to poor people — but is undermined by some of his anecdotes (about enormous Times investments in stories concerned, for example, with American race relations and with the genocide in Rwanda).

The New Yorker

This was three months ago -- he said, 'I didn't start moving till the fall.' He said you want to have a clear view of what to say, be able to say it clearly and strongly and spend enormous times in New Hampshire during those last three months".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"The enormous time pressure was really killing me," Pomahac recalled.

The New Yorker

"That's an enormous difference and an enormous time commitment," Ms. Beyer said.

The New York Times

All of this takes enormous time and energy, and now it's extra time and energy".

The New Yorker

Nature takes enormous time and effort to produce something that we use only briefly.

The New York Times

The Cypriots and members of the troika were "under enormous time pressure," he said.

The New York Times

"It's just an enormous time-suck for the amount of information you get from it".

The Guardian - Tech

In his book, Gladwell argues that greatness requires enormous time and drive.

The Guardian - Sport

"Four-hand playing is a complex art that requires enormous time and patience.

The New York Times - Arts

"Russia is geographically so vast that any turn of the wheel has an enormous time lag," he says.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity and impact, consider using more common alternatives like "immense periods" or "vast durations" instead of "enormous times" to avoid potential ambiguity or perceived awkwardness.

Common error

Avoid using "enormous times" excessively, particularly in formal contexts. While grammatically correct, it can sound unnatural or less sophisticated than alternatives. Instead, opt for more conventional phrases like "vast durations" or "immense periods".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "enormous times" functions as an adjective-noun phrase. The adjective "enormous" modifies the noun "times", indicating a large quantity or duration. Ludwig AI indicates that the expression is not very common.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while grammatically sound, the phrase "enormous times" is not a commonly used expression in English. As Ludwig AI pointed out, it may sound somewhat awkward to native speakers. It aims to emphasize significant durations or periods. More common and natural-sounding alternatives include "vast durations", "immense periods", or "considerable time", making them better choices for clarity and impact in both formal and informal writing. Although the phrase appears in News & Media and Scientific contexts, its rarity suggests exercising caution when using it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

vast durations

Replaces "enormous" with "vast", emphasizing scale and extent of time.

immense periods

Substitutes "enormous" with "immense", highlighting the great size or extent of the time periods.

considerable durations

Uses "considerable" instead of "enormous", suggesting a noteworthy length of time.

vast stretches of time

Rephrases to emphasize the vastness of the time spans.

lengthy stretches

Replaces both words to focus on the extended nature of time spans.

extensive intervals

Emphasizes the breadth and reach of the time intervals.

prolonged spans

Highlights the prolonged or extended nature of the time spans.

significant stretches

Focuses on the importance and length of the time spans.

extended durations

Emphasizes the extended or stretched-out aspect of the time periods.

substantial intervals

Highlights the considerable amount of time between events.

FAQs

What does "enormous times" mean?

"Enormous times" refers to exceptionally long or significant periods or durations of time. While grammatically sound, it's less common than alternatives like "vast durations" or "immense periods".

Is it better to say "enormous times" or "enormous amount of time"?

While "enormous times" isn't incorrect, "enormous amount of time" is generally preferred for clarity and common usage. The latter is more idiomatic and readily understood.

What are some alternatives to using "enormous times" in a sentence?

You can use alternatives like "vast durations", "immense periods", or "considerable time" depending on the specific context.

Why does "enormous times" sound awkward to some native English speakers?

"Enormous times" can sound awkward because it's not a frequently used collocation. The word "times" is more commonly associated with countable instances rather than continuous durations, making alternatives like "extensive periods" sound more natural.