grand
adjective
impressive in size, appearance, or general effect.
grand
1 American
[grand]
/ grænd /
adjective
-
grander,
comparative
-
grandest
superlative
-
impressive in size, appearance, or general effect.
grand mountain scenery.
- Antonyms:
- insignificant
-
stately, majestic, or dignified.
In front of an audience her manner is grand and regal.
- Antonyms:
- unassuming, modest
-
highly ambitious or idealistic.
grand ideas for bettering the political situation.
-
magnificent or splendid.
a grand palace.
-
noble or revered.
a grand old man.
-
highest, or very high, in rank or official dignity.
a grand potentate.
-
main or principal; chief.
the grand ballroom.
- Antonyms:
- minor
-
of great importance, distinction, or pretension.
a man used to entertaining grand personages.
-
complete or comprehensive.
a grand total.
- Synonyms:
- inclusive
-
pretending to grandeur, as a result of minor success, good fortune, etc.; conceited.
Jane is awfully grand since she got promoted.
-
first-rate; very good; splendid.
to have a grand time; to feel grand.
-
Music. written on a large scale or for a large ensemble.
a grand fugue.
noun
-
grands,
plural
-
grand
plural
-
Informal. an amount equal to a thousand dollars.
The cops found most of the loot, but they're still missing about five grand.
grand-
2
American
grand
1
British
/ ɡrænd /
adjective
-
large or impressive in size, extent, or consequence
grand mountain scenery
-
characterized by or attended with magnificence or display; sumptuous
a grand feast
-
of great distinction or pretension; dignified or haughty
-
designed to impress
he punctuated his story with grand gestures
-
very good; wonderful
-
comprehensive; complete
a grand total
-
worthy of respect; fine
a grand old man
-
large or impressive in conception or execution
grand ideas
-
most important; chief
the grand arena
noun
-
short for grand piano
-
slang a thousand pounds or dollars
grand-
2
British
prefix
Usage
What does grand- mean? Grand- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “one generation more remote." It is typically used in genealogical terms. Grand- comes from Latin grandis, meaning “great,” “large,” or "full-grown." The Greek translation of grandis is mégas, meaning “big” or “great.” Mégas is the source of the combining form mega-. To learn more, check out our entry on mega-. What are variants of grand-?While not a variant of grand- in this sense exactly, the prefix great- is used to indicate further generations remote, as in great-grandparent, or parent two generations removed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of grand1
First recorded in 1350–1400; 1920–25 grand for def. 14; Middle English gra(u)nd, gra(u)nt, from Old French grant, grand, from Latin grandis “great, large, full-grown”
Origin of grand-2
Special use of grand
Explanation
Something that's grand is large and impressive. A fancy, catered birthday party with a guest list of hundreds could be described as grand. The adjective grand can be used in many different ways: it can describe big things, like a grand piano or the Grand Canyon, or luxurious things, like the grand leather seats in your dad's Cadillac. You can also use grand to simply mean "wonderful," as when you exclaim, "Chocolate cake for dessert! Isn't this grand!" Grand is also a slang term for "a thousand dollars." The Latin root is grandis, "big, great, full, or abundant."
Vocabulary lists containing grand
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Conceived on a grand architectural scale, this landmark residence balances timeless grandeur with thoughtful functionality, creating a true trophy property for the most discerning collector of fine real estate,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
But a baby grand piano which featured in the artwork for the Supersonic single, which was valued at between £100,000 and £150,000 failed to sell.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Hamilton's position on the front row revives memories of their bitter title battle in 2021, when the seven-time champion was at Mercedes, and whets appetites for the grand prix on Sunday.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Three singles, a hit batter and a grand slam later, the Tigers trailed for good.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
It was a grand name, and Valfierno lived up to it.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
She’s clearly positioned in the film as an intellectually rich matriarch—there are lovingly shot images of her with her grand- and great-grandchildren on the beach, and footage of her playing Bach.
From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2026
“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” the family wrote.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2025
“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025
Immigrants’ American-born grand- and great-grandchildren are grasping backward through time and bureaucracy, hoping their ancestors might now provide them with a way to start over back in the motherland.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 29, 2022
A week with the grand- ’rents and I was desperate enough to contemplate the vile crime of beef felony.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
"We have been trying many grands prix to get pole, sometimes a bit closer than others. But to finally get it from where we started the season, pretty incredible."
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
There is no doubt that he was a remarkably successful team principal there, the team winning eight drivers' titles, six constructors' championships and 124 grands prix in his two-decade tenure.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
But with just nine wins for the team in 162 grands prix, doubts as to whether Leclerc is truly the chosen one for Ferrari might be starting to creep in.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
After a major upgrade to their car, Norris has won the past two grands prix, in Hungary and the Netherlands.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Big Ma wouldn’t have stood for any screaming coming from her grands, but what Big Ma didn’t know wouldn’t earn us her shame.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Rowan, who originally had grander plans for the property but pulled back, has filed multiple lawsuits and spent years battling the local zoning board over septic systems, dock rights, and parking complaints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Tejon Pass isn’t nearly as tall as its grander sister mountain ranges, but no one has to haul a big rig loaded up with peaches over Mt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Vienna's heurigers range from a few tables set up in the open air to grander affairs resembling restaurants.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
What stood out most was and is their profound appreciation for a grander inspirational source: the world of Studio Ghibli, brought to life by Hayao Miyazaki.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
The meeting hall is next to the church but separated from the grander building by a garden of white crosses, memorials to the deceased.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Then again, even though “Goal” was shown only on video monitors, the Bowl with its new sound system worked brilliantly as the grandest cinema on the planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
“It’s clear the president wanted the grandest flyover ever,” Isaacman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
As Stuart scholar Ellen Miles has written, the Lansdowne Portrait, as it is known, is “Stuart’s grandest American accomplishment,” a beautiful picture that “was quickly recognized as the best pictorial summation of Washington’s public role.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
BBC Scotland charts the rise of a modern-day Scotland great, from Clydebank council pitches to football's grandest stage.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
The grandest houses, of which there were two, had Likma, enclosed bay windows that hung out over the street.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
