Gríðarlegt

Gríðarlegt is an Icelandic adjective meaning enormous, tremendous, or of large extent. It is used to describe quantities, sizes, intensities, or impacts, and can modify a wide range of nouns, from physical size to abstract measures such as effort or data.

Etymology and usage: The form gríðarlegt comes from the prefix gríðar- meaning large or vast, together with the neuter singular ending -legt. The prefix gríðar- stems from Old Norse and is productive in Icelandic for creating terms that emphasize scale. As a modifier, gríðarlegt typically appears before a neuter noun, e.g., gríðarlegt magn, gríðarlegt veður, gríðarlegt álag.

Grammar and related forms: Gríðarlegt is the neuter singular form of the adjective. The masculine and feminine forms are gríðarlegur and gríðarleg, respectively, with the usual Icelandic adjective declensions. An adverbial form is gríðarlega, used to modify verbs or adjectives (for example, gríðarlega vel).

Examples of usage: It can describe tangible and intangible phenomena, such as gríðarlegt magn af gögnum (an enormous amount of data), gríðarlegt veður (tremendous weather), or gríðarlegt álag (enormous pressure). In journalistic and literary Icelandic, gríðarlegt is a common intensifier, sometimes used hyperbolically to underscore scale or impact.

See also: The prefix gríðar- is a productive element in Icelandic for creating emphasis on size or intensity, with gríðarlegt serving as a standard neuter form in everyday and formal language.