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FYI, but this is HN, so you might like to know that "enormity" has a specific meaning with negative connotation, it's not just a way to describe something as "r

FYI, but this is HN, so you might like to know that "enormity" has a specific meaning with negative connotation, it's not just a way to describe something as "really big," (enormous) but rather "really evil."

staticautomatic 6y ago
It’s bizarre that this is being downvoted. I wouldn’t call it “really evil” but the negative connotation is legit. See...any dictionary.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- Udik 6y ago
  (in neutral use) large size or scale. "I began to get a sense of the enormity of the task"
  - staticautomatic 6y ago
    Is that a quote from a dictionary or what?
    - Udik 6y ago
      Yep, Ofxord Languages (the one provided by google) https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
      - staticautomatic 6y ago
        And when I Google “define enormity” I get “ noun 1. the great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong. "a thorough search disclosed the full enormity of the crime" 2. a grave crime or sin. "the enormities of the regime" “
        Udik 6y ago
        Just click on "translations and more definitions" at the bottom.
creata 6y ago
> Although enormity has been used since the late 1700s to denote large size, this usage continues to be disparaged by various language commentators who argue that enormity should be reserved for senses related to "great wickedness." It is enormousness, they insist (a hefty and considerably less common word), that should be used in reference to great size, despite the fact that, like enormity, it too originally was used to denote wickedness or divergence from accepted moral standards. For better or worse, this proscription has been widely ignored by many English speakers, including professional writers. — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enormity https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enormity It's not as clear as you're making it out to be.

staticautomatic 6y ago

It’s bizarre that this is being downvoted. I wouldn’t call it “really evil” but the negative connotation is legit. See...any dictionary.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
Udik 6y ago
(in neutral use) large size or scale. "I began to get a sense of the enormity of the task"
- staticautomatic 6y ago
  Is that a quote from a dictionary or what?
  - Udik 6y ago
    Yep, Ofxord Languages (the one provided by google) https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
    - staticautomatic 6y ago
      And when I Google “define enormity” I get “ noun 1. the great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong. "a thorough search disclosed the full enormity of the crime" 2. a grave crime or sin. "the enormities of the regime" “
      - Udik 6y ago
        Just click on "translations and more definitions" at the bottom.

creata 6y ago

> Although enormity has been used since the late 1700s to denote large size, this usage continues to be disparaged by various language commentators who argue that enormity should be reserved for senses related to "great wickedness." It is enormousness, they insist (a hefty and considerably less common word), that should be used in reference to great size, despite the fact that, like enormity, it too originally was used to denote wickedness or divergence from accepted moral standards. For better or worse, this proscription has been widely ignored by many English speakers, including professional writers. — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enormity https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enormity It's not as clear as you're making it out to be.