big
1large, as in size, height, width, or amount: a big house; a big quantity.
of major concern, importance, gravity, or the like: a big problem.
outstanding for a specified quality: a big liar; a big success.
important, as in influence, standing, or wealth: a big man in his field.
elder: my big sister.
doing business or conducted on a large scale; major in size or importance: big government.
consisting of the largest or most influential companies in an industry: Big steel wants to lower prices, but the smaller mills don't.
Informal. known or used widely; popular: Nouvelle cuisine became big in the 1970s.
magnanimous; generous; kindly: big enough to forgive.
boastful; pompous; pretentious; haughty: a big talker.
(of clothing or a clothing design) made of or distinguished by voluminous fabric that is loosely or softly shaped and fitted: a big shirt; the big look.
(of a wine) having more than average flavor, body, and alcoholic content.
filled; brimming: eyes big with tears.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pregnant1 (def. 1).
Obsolete. very strong; powerful.
Informal. boastfully; pretentiously: to act big; to talk big.
Informal. with great success; successfully: to go over big.
the bigs, Sports Slang. the highest level of professional competition, as the major leagues in baseball.
Idioms about big
be big on, to have a special liking or enthusiasm for: Mother is big on family get-togethers.
big with child. great (def. 23).
Origin of big
1Other words for big
| 1 | huge, immense; bulky, massive; capacious, voluminous; extensive |
| 4 | consequential |
| 15 | overflowing, flooded |
Opposites for big
Other words from big
- biggish, adjective
- bigly, adverb, adjective
Words Nearby big
Other definitions for big (2 of 2)
or bigg
to build.
Origin of big
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use big in a sentence
In that photo, Merabet has a big smile that spreads across his whole face and lights up his eyes.
The big Five banks dubbed too big to fail, are 35 percent bigger than they were when the meltdown was triggered.
Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton | Eleanor Clift | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTTheir three-day scientific outing was paid for by Epstein and was big success.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking | M.L. Nestel | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI really wanted Trenchmouth to succeed and at the time wished we were as big as Green Day.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe big slug happened to hit the suspect in the street, passing through his arm and then striking Police Officer Andrew Dossi.
The big room at King's Warren Parsonage was already fairly well filled.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsSol laughed out of his whiskers, with a big, loose-rolling sound, and sat on the porch without waiting to be asked.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) OgdenThere were at least a dozen ladies seated round the big table at the Parsonage.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsI pictured him as slim and young looking, smooth-faced, with golden curly hair, and big brown eyes.
The Boarded-Up House | Augusta Huiell Seamanbig Reginald took their lives at pool, and pocketed their half-crowns in an easy genial way, which almost made losing a pleasure.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
British Dictionary definitions for big (1 of 2)
/ (bɪɡ) /
of great or considerable size, height, weight, number, power, or capacity
having great significance; important: a big decision
important through having power, influence, wealth, authority, etc: the big four banks
(intensifier usually qualifying something undesirable): a big dope
informal considerable in extent or intensity (esp in the phrase in a big way)
elder: my big brother
grown-up: when you're big, you can stay up later
generous; magnanimous: that's very big of you
(in combination): big-hearted
(often foll by with) brimming; full: my heart is big with sadness
extravagant; boastful: he's full of big talk
(of wine) full-bodied, with a strong aroma and flavour
too big for one's boots or too big for one's breeches conceited; unduly self-confident
in an advanced stage of pregnancy (esp in the phrase big with child)
big on informal enthusiastic about: that company is big on research
boastfully; pretentiously (esp in the phrase talk big)
in an exceptional way; well: his talk went over big with the audience
on a grand scale (esp in the phrase think big)
Origin of big
1- See also big up
Derived forms of big
- biggish, adjective
- bigness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for big (2 of 2)
/ (bɪɡ) /
to build
to excavate (earth) into a pile
Origin of big
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with big
In addition to the idioms beginning with big
- big and bold
- big as life
- big bucks
- big cheese
- big daddy
- big deal
- big enchilada
- big fish in a small pond
- big head, have a
- big league
- big mouth, have a
- big of one
- big on
- big shot
- big stink
- big time
- big top
- big wheel
also see:
- go over big
- great (big) guns
- hit it big
- in a big way
- little frog in a big pond
- make a federal case (big deal)
- talk big
- think big
- too big for one's breeches
- what's the (big) idea
Also see underbigger.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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