Illustration of Himalayan
Hi·ma·la·yan
ˌhi-mə-ˈlā-ən 
hi-ˈmäl-yən,
-ˈmä-lē-ən
1
: of, relating to, or resembling the Himalayas
2
: enormously large : mountainous
a task of Himalayan proportions
: any of a breed of domestic cats developed by crossing the Persian and the Siamese and having the stocky build and long thick coat of the former and the blue eyes and coat patterns of the latter
Synonyms
Adjective
- astronomical
- astronomic
- Brobdingnagian
- bumper
- colossal
- cosmic
- cosmical
- cyclopean
- elephantine
- enormous
- galactic
- gargantuan
- giant
- gigantesque
- gigantic
- grand
- herculean
- heroic
- heroical
- huge
- humongous
- humungous
- immense
- jumbo
- king-size
- king-sized
- leviathan
- mammoth
- massive
- mega
- mighty
- monster
- monstrous
- monumental
- mountainous
- oceanic
- pharaonic
- planetary
- prodigious
- super
- super-duper
- supersize
- supersized
- titanic
- tremendous
- vast
- vasty
- walloping
- whacking
- whopping
Examples of Himalayan in a Sentence
Adjective
as military blunders go, the disastrous Pickett's Charge was of Himalayan proportions
Recent Examples on the Web
Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024
High Water and Its Discontents About half of the world’s population depends on water from the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Some of us may like to spend all our waking hours tending to the unreasonable needs and wants of some rare Himalayan daphne planted in an inappropriate climate.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 21 June 2024
Bordered between Bhutan and Nepal, the northeastern state of Sikkim is known for its scenic Himalayan landscapes, boasting 28 mountain peaks, 21 glaciers and more than 200 lakes.
—Esha Mitra, CNN, 14 June 2024
The Louisville Sale Cave was constructed using five tons of pink Himalayan rock salt from the Himalayan Mountains.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 12 June 2024
For them, the profession of Himalayan guide offers a path out of deep poverty, but also a possible route — strewed with avalanches and icefalls — to a premature death.
—Bhadra Sharma, New York Times, 11 June 2024
Modi’s Himalayan Dilemma A border clash with China leaves India few good options.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Robin Price Playground at the Institute of Himalayan Biotechnology, Palumper, India: PM 2.5 30–40 micrograms per cubic meter.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 June 2024
Noun
Entering the town of Namche Bazaar, a former trading post set at an elevation of around 11,400 feet, felt like arriving at a Himalayan backpacker’s heaven: there were shops loaded with gear, Irish pubs, and cafés selling banana pancakes and microbrews.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024
High Water and Its Discontents About half of the world’s population depends on water from the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Some of us may like to spend all our waking hours tending to the unreasonable needs and wants of some rare Himalayan daphne planted in an inappropriate climate.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 21 June 2024
Bordered between Bhutan and Nepal, the northeastern state of Sikkim is known for its scenic Himalayan landscapes, boasting 28 mountain peaks, 21 glaciers and more than 200 lakes.
—Esha Mitra, CNN, 14 June 2024
The Louisville Sale Cave was constructed using five tons of pink Himalayan rock salt from the Himalayan Mountains.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 12 June 2024
For them, the profession of Himalayan guide offers a path out of deep poverty, but also a possible route — strewed with avalanches and icefalls — to a premature death.
—Bhadra Sharma, New York Times, 11 June 2024
Modi’s Himalayan Dilemma A border clash with China leaves India few good options.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Robin Price Playground at the Institute of Himalayan Biotechnology, Palumper, India: PM 2.5 30–40 micrograms per cubic meter.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 June 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Himalayan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Himalayan
Cite this Entry
“Himalayan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Himalayan. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Himalayan
1 of 2 adjective
Hi·ma·la·yan
ˌhim-ə-ˈlā-ən
him-ˈäl-(ə-)yən
him-ˈäl-(ə-)yən
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Himalaya Mountains
Himalayan
2 of 2 noun
: any of a breed of stocky blue-eyed domestic cats that have a long thick coat and a pale body with darker ears, paws, tail, and face
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share