loom large

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

loom large (third-person singular simple present looms large, present participle looming large, simple past and past participle loomed large)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To have a great deal of importance, presence, power, or sway; to be of great significance or concern, especially when posing a likely threat or danger.

   Synonym: bulk large

   Energy policy will loom large in the policy decisions of the new government.

   • 1934, United States. Congress. House. Special Committee on Un-American Activities, Investigation of Nazi Propaganda Activities and Investigation of Certain Other Propaganda Activities, page 281:

     Sooner or later the Catholic question will loom large in our way, so why not take a definite standpoint right from the beginning?

   • 1957, Charlotte Towle, Common Human Needs, page 64:

     One doubts that adequate assistance would loom large as a factor in the demoralization of the individual.

   • 1980, Howard D. Crosse, George H. Hempel, Management Policies for Commercial Banks, page 174:

     Nevertheless, even for a country bank, the unpredictable can loom large in the management of its reserve position.

   • 1990, Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: Volumes 7-8, page 131:

     At the same time, the environmental problems certainly loom large in all transition countries.

   • 1997, Neil L. Whitehead, The Discoverie of the Large, Rich and Bewtiful Empyre of Guiana, page 15:

     Virgin Queens loom large as inspirational icons of both endeavours but Ralegh's substantive commitment in financial and political terms was to the earlier Virginia project, with the Guiana episode appearing as a hastily conceived attempt to re-run the Virginia enterprise.

   • 2007, Ingo Tönnies, Large-scale Mining in Papua New Guinea, page 107:

     While the environmental damages might loom large, there are rather the changes on the social structure of the Wopkaimin community and the demands for more participation in the mine's benefits — in other words, there are also social and economical reasons for the emergence of conflicts as well.

   • 2019, Thierry de Duve, Aesthetics at Large — Art, Ethics, Politics, page 111:

     This is not to say that Schopenhauer and Nietzsche do not loom large in his work as well, but traveling back and forth between these two thinkers and Hegel is feasible, whereas reconciling Kant and Hegel is not—except perhaps via Schelling, but this would mean walking the romantic route, something Adorno avoids like the plague.

   • 2021 July 7, Phil McNulty, “England 2-1 Denmark”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     Schmeichel was Denmark's hero as England sought the winner, saving brilliantly from Harry Maguire and Harry Kane as the game went into extra time and the prospect of penalties loomed large.

   • 2022 November 14, Justin McCurry, “Taiwan looms large as Joe Biden prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Bali”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Taiwan looms large as Joe Biden prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Bali [title]

   • 2023 July 12, Pip Dunn, “Class 99s: "ultimate Electro-Diesel"”, in RAIL, number 987, page 52:

     But the point when it would have to look at alternative new-build vehicles was always looming large, and there would inevitably be a finite number of Class 66s it could source from elsewhere, and a limit to other locomotives it could re-power.

See also

• writ large