Meaning & use
jumbo
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Very large compared with other things of the same type.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a jumbo bag of rice. It is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- jumbo + noun
We bought a jumbo pack of toilet paper at the supermarket.
She ordered a jumbo coffee to stay awake during the drive.
The airline added two jumbo jets to its fleet.
nouncountableinformal
Something that is much larger than normal, especially a large size of a product.
Grammar: Countable; often used in compounds like jumbo jet or jumbo size.
Patterns
- a jumbo of something
The store sells jumbos of paper towels for big families.
He always buys the jumbo when he shops for snacks.
Common combinations
- jumbo jet
- The jumbo jet can carry over 500 passengers.
- jumbo size
- These eggs are jumbo size, so you get more for your money.
- jumbo pack
- A jumbo pack of batteries is cheaper per battery.
- jumbo shrimp
- The restaurant serves jumbo shrimp with garlic sauce.
Synonyms and how they differ
- giant
- Giant is also informal but often suggests something living or imaginary; jumbo is more common for products and vehicles.
- huge
- Huge is a general word for size and can be used after a verb (it is huge); jumbo is usually only before a noun.
- enormous
- Enormous is stronger and more formal than jumbo, and it can describe abstract things like an enormous difference.
Opposites
Word family
- jumbo jet noun
- A very large passenger airplane.
Commonly confused: jumbo or jumble?
jumbo vs jumble
Jumble means a confused mixture or to mix things up; jumbo means very large.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'jumbo' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Jumbo' is an informal adjective used before a noun to mean very large, as in 'a jumbo bag of popcorn.' It is not used after a linking verb like 'was jumbo' or as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jumbo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.