WordGarden.iomega
Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈɛɡə/
US
- /ˈmɛɡə/
Meanings
Adjective
very large, major, or large-scale
excellent or very impressive
Adverb
very; extremely
Other
a metric prefix meaning one million
Beyond the definition
"Mega" is not just about size. It is about something really big. Think of a megastar, someone extremely famous, or a megastore, a shop that feels enormous. It comes from a Greek word meaning "great," and in technical use it can mean one million. In everyday English, though, we often use it more loosely to stress that something is unusually large, strong, or important. You might hear about a megatrend in fashion, a mega-project that costs a lot of money, or a mega-hit that becomes popular everywhere.
The prefix "mega-" means extremely large or powerful, pointing to something far beyond the ordinary. In technical use, it can represent one million units, although in some fields the exact number depends on the system being used. In everyday language, its use has widened, and it often simply adds the idea of great size, scale, strength, or impact.
Coming from the Greek word for "great," "mega-" first became common in scientific and technical terms, such as megahertz and megaton. From there, it moved easily into popular language. We now talk about megacities with huge populations, mega-influencers with very large audiences online, and mega-projects that need enormous amounts of money, planning, and effort.
"Mega" is not limited to physical size. It can also describe the effect or influence something has. A mega-hit song stays popular for weeks, while a mega-scandal shocks a whole country. You might even hear about a mega-personality, meaning someone with a very strong and memorable presence.
So whether you are describing data, cities, pop culture, or just something impressively large, "mega-" is a common way to stress unusual scale and impact. It is a small piece of language that makes everything feel bigger.
Examples
- 1
Large facility
The company is building a mega warehouse outside the city.
- 2
Public event
The festival turned into a mega event, with thousands of people arriving from across the country.
- 3
Informal emphasis
I'm mega busy this week, so can we talk on Friday?
- Usagemega + adjective
very + adjective, informal
- 4
Popular music
Her first single was a mega-hit that summer.
- Phrasemega-hit
something very popular or successful
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Spending
They spent mega bucks on the wedding.
- Usagemega bucks
a lot of money, informal
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- meganoun