What does "jumbo" mean?
An especially large or powerful person, animal, or thing.
Jumbo
/ˈd͡ʒʌmbəʊ/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An especially large or powerful person, animal, or thing.
- Grammar: jumbo is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abysmal, astronomic, astronomical, atlantean.
- Useful contrasts: compact, conforming loan, miniature object.
- Usage evidence: No pro golfer in Japan is as popular as Jumbo Ozaki.
How to use "jumbo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "jumbo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "jumbo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "jumbo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "jumbo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "jumbo" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abysmal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "jumbo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An especially large or powerful person, animal, or thing. countable, uncountable
"I purchased a vine, and was rather impressed with the appearance of the grape; so I took the time to go down to see the vine, the Jumbo [a cultivar of muscadine, Vitis rotundifolia], and I saw a very large vine, trained on an arbor, perhaps covering a space of fifteen to twenty feet square, with the clusters hanging down through the lattice work;[…]"
- 2 Ellipsis of mumbo jumbo (“a deity or other supernatural being worshipped by certain West African peoples; an idol representing such a being”). abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, historical
"Returning to the villa, we were greeted by a party which frightened the boys. It was the Moco Jumbo and his suite. The Jumbo was on stilts, with a head, mounted on the actor's head, which was concealed: the music was from two baskets, like strawberry baskets, with little bells within, shook in time. The swordsman danced with an air of menace, the musician was comical, and Jumbo assumed the "antic terrible," and was very active on his stilts."
- 3 Acronym of Jupiter-mass binary object abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 4 Alternative form of JuMBO alt-of, alternative
- 5 An elephant. India, Kenya, countable, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A platform-mounted machine for drilling rock. countable, uncountable
"In all three tunnels the full face was drilled at once. […] [T]he mucking machine was immediately converted into a drilling jumbo upon completion of the mucking operation. Both jumbos carried all the posts and bars necessary for the mounting in any desired position of four automatic DA-30 drifters."
- 7 A large airplane, such as those used for intercontinental travel. British, English, countable, uncountable
"Take a jumbo ’cross the water (Like to see America)"
- 8 Synonym of bologna (“type of meat”). Pennsylvania, Western, countable, uncountable
- 9 A wide roll of machine-trimmed paper, ready to be cut into smaller widths. countable, uncountable
"In the unwind area, one system loads and unloads the unwind stand almost simultaneously. The jumbo is stored ahead of the unwind on level rails."
Adjective
- 1 Especially large or powerful. not-comparable
"a jumbo helping"
Adjective
- 1 of great mass; huge and bulky wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A nickname for one or that of a large size
- 2 A nickname for one or that of a small size
- 3 A traditional animal name for an elephant
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"No pro golfer in Japan is as popular as Jumbo Ozaki."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "jumbo"?
Common synonyms include: abysmal, astronomic, astronomical, atlantean, brobdingnagian, bulk order.
How do you use "jumbo" in a sentence?
No pro golfer in Japan is as popular as Jumbo Ozaki.
How do you pronounce "jumbo"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒʌmbəʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Jumbo (1860–1885), the name given to a large African elephant from East Africa that was purchased in 1882 by American showman P. T. Barnum (1810–1891) for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Compare Swahili jambo (“matter, thing”) and jumbe (“chief, headman”).
Etymology 2
From (mumbo) jumbo.
Etymology 3
From jumbo, from the 19th-century elephant, Jumbo, from Swahili jumbe (“chief”) jambo (“thing”)