prodigious

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The Word of the Day for September 14 is:

prodigious   \pruh-DIJ-us\   adjective
     1 : exciting amazement or wonder 
   *2 : extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : enormous

Example sentence:
     Artisans began the prodigious task of restoring the beautiful mosaics just 
days after they were destroyed in the earthquake. 

Did you know?
     "Prodigious," "monstrous," "tremendous," and "stupendous" all mean 
extremely impressive. "Prodigious" suggests something marvelous or 
extraordinary, whereas "monstrous" implies that something is not only large but 
also ugly or deformed. "Tremendous" and "stupendous" both imply a power, the 
former to terrify or awe, the latter to stun or astound. "Prodigious" and the 
related noun "prodigy" derive from the Latin "prodigium," meaning "omen" or 
"monster"; at one time, both words were used in English to refer to portents, 
or omens, but these senses are now considered obsolete. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.