megastore

IPA/ˈmeɡəstɔː(r)/
KK[mˈɛɡəstˌɔr]IPA/ˈmeɡəstɔːr/

megastore — noun

  • megastoresingular
  • megastoresplural

1. a shop with a very large sales floor that usually focuses on a single product ca

1.nounB2
Definition

a shop with a very large sales floor that usually focuses on a single product category, such as books, electronics, or sports equipment

Example

Mei-Lin found every kitchen appliance she needed at the new megastore.

collocation: new megastore

The furniture megastore on the highway has over fifty display rooms.

compound noun: furniture megastore

Common collocations
  • electronics megastore
  • furniture megastore
  • music megastore
  • megastore chain
  • megastore format
Synonyms
  • superstore

    nearly identical in meaning; 'superstore' is more common in British English

  • big-box store

    emphasises the plain, warehouse-like building rather than the specialist range

  • hypermarket

    always sells food and groceries alongside other goods, while a megastore may not

Antonyms
  • corner shop

    a small neighbourhood store with a very limited selection of goods

  • boutique

    a small shop selling stylish, often high-priced items

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Megastore, superstore, big-box store, and hypermarket all describe large retail outlets, but they differ in emphasis and typical use. 'Megastore' highlights sheer size and often implies a specialist focus — a megastore might sell only books or only electronics. 'Superstore' is nearly synonymous but is more frequent in British English and can feel slightly more general. 'Big-box store' refers to the physical appearance: a plain, sprawling, box-shaped building, and the term often carries a mildly negative or impersonal connotation. 'Hypermarket' is the most specific: it always includes a full supermarket section alongside department-store goods. In American English, 'megastore' and 'superstore' are often used interchangeably for large specialist shops, while British speakers reserve 'hypermarket' for giant grocery-plus-general stores like Tesco Extra.

superstore ↗big-box store ↗hypermarket ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • megastore chain
  • megastore format
  • megastore concept
  • megastore opening

Phrases

  • a megastore on the outskirts
  • the rise of the megastore

Prepositions

  • at a megastore
  • in a megastore
  • to a megastore

Etymology

GreekOld FrenchEnglish

A late 20th-century English compound formed from 'mega-' (from Greek megas, meaning 'great' or 'large') and 'store' (from Old French estor, meaning 'provisions' or 'supply', which later shifted to mean a place where goods are sold). The term gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s as retail chains, particularly in North America, began building increasingly large specialist outlets to compete with department stores.