elephantine
UK: /ˌel.ɪˈfæn.taɪn/ | US: /ˌel.əˈfæn.tɪn/
adj. resembling an elephant in size, shape, or clumsiness
adj. (figuratively) enormous, ponderous, or unwieldy
The word "elephantine" derives from "elephant," referring to the massive land mammal, combined with the suffix "-ine," which forms adjectives meaning "of or pertaining to." The term originally described literal elephant-like qualities (e.g., size, weight) but evolved metaphorically to denote anything cumbersome or excessively large. The suffix "-ine" traces back to Latin "-inus," a common adjectival ending.
The old bridge had an elephantine structure, towering over the river.
His handwriting was so elephantine that it barely fit on the page.
The bureaucratic process was criticized for its elephantine slowness.
She struggled to move the elephantine sofa up the narrow staircase.
The novel’s elephantine plot made it difficult to follow.