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I'm trying to understand whether the two adjectives in this sentence are acting as cumulative adjectives (no comma; different categories within Order of Adjectives) or coordinate adjectives (takes comma if "and" can be placed between the two and adjectives belong to the same category). Could you please help?

Her throw of words was like a gigantic freezing shower.

I think these are cumulative adjectives as "gigantic" refers to "size" and "freezing" refers to "observation or opinion" within the Order of Adjectives. Am I thinking right? In which case, should there be no comma?

skywardhope
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    The absence of punctuation (a comma) indicates 'stacked' modification, as opposed to coordination. There are two layers of modification: "shower" is modified by "freezing" to form the nominal "freezing shower", and this in turn is modified by "gigantic" to give the meaning "shower that is gigantic by the standards applicable to freezing ones". – BillJ Apr 19 '18 at 08:02
  • Yes. To me it seems to be "a freezing shower" that is "gigantic" in size. So does that mean the meaning is clear without the comma? – skywardhope Apr 19 '18 at 15:40
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    Yes, it does. Adding a comma after "gigantic" would change the meaning to a "shower that was both freezing and gigantic". – BillJ Apr 19 '18 at 16:58
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    Sorry and to me, that difference of “gigantic freezing shower” without and “gigantic, freezing shower” with a comma is as meaningful as the medieval Question of how many angels could dance on the head of a pin…

    Can you defend it, or what, please?

     – Robbie Goodwin Apr 21 '18 at 00:21

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