a. Obs. Also 6 -iouse, -eous, inormious. [f. L. ēnormi-s (see ENORM) + -OUS.]
1. Deviating from ordinary rule or type, irregular, extraordinary; = ENORMOUS 1 and 3.
1613. R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Enormious, out of square, vnorderly.
1622. Callis, Stat. Sewers (1647), 151. And I have heretofore beheld much enormious proceedings therein, both in the Commissioners and in their Officers.
1656. Artif. Handsom., 60 (T.). The enormious additions of their artificiall heights.
2. Of persons or their actions: Extraordinarily wicked, outrageous, monstrous; = ENORMOUS 2.
1545. Udall, trans. Erasm. Par. Luke, 67 a. Enormeous … sins.
1550. Bale, Apol., 99. That detestable professyon of a lyfe so enormiouse.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus. (1877), 47. To giue the King to vnderstand the inormious abuse thereof.
1609. Bible (Douay), Jer. l. comm., God … is severe when he punisheth enormious sinners.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc. (1650), 420. To prevent some enormious act.
1656. Earl of Monmouth, Advert. from Parnassus, 24. Those inormious and hatefull loathsomenesses.
Hence † Enormiously adv.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 59. Those many errors and mistakings, whereinto they so often and enormiously fell. Ibid., 68. Thousands of bad Christians, who have … profaned enormiously that sacred name of Unction.
