great
adjective
unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions.
great
American
[greyt]
/ greɪt /
adjective
-
greater,
comparative
-
greatest
superlative
-
unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions.
A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.
- Antonyms:
- small
-
large in number; numerous.
Great hordes of tourists descend on Europe each summer.
-
unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc..
great pain.
-
wonderful; very good; first-rate.
We had a great time.
That's great!
-
being such in an extreme or notable degree.
great friends;
a great talker.
-
exceptionally outstanding; notable; remarkable.
a great occasion.
- Synonyms:
- noteworthy
-
highly significant or consequential; important.
the great issues in American history.
- Antonyms:
- insignificant
-
a great inventor.
- Antonyms:
- insignificant
-
of noble or lofty character.
great thoughts.
-
chief or principal.
the great hall;
his greatest novel.
-
of high rank, official position, or social standing.
a great noble.
- Antonyms:
- insignificant
-
much in use or favor.
“Humor” was a great word with the old physiologists.
-
of extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable.
a great statesman.
-
of considerable duration or length.
We waited a great while for the train.
-
Informal.
-
being of one generation more remote from the family relative specified (used in combination).
a great-grandson.
adverb
noun
-
greats,
plural
-
great
plural
-
a person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field.
She is one of the theater's greats.
-
great persons, collectively.
England's literary great.
-
Also called great go. (often initial capital letter) greats,
-
the final examination for the bachelor's degree in the classics and mathematics, or Literae Humaniores, especially at Oxford University and usually for honors.
-
the course of study.
-
the subject studied.
-
interjection
-
(used to express acceptance, appreciation, approval, admiration, etc.)
-
(used ironically or facetiously to express disappointment, annoyance, distress, etc.).
Great! We just missed the last train home.
idioms
great
1
British
/ ɡreɪt /
adjective
-
relatively large in size or extent; big
-
relatively large in number; having many parts or members
a great assembly
-
of relatively long duration
a great wait
-
of larger size or more importance than others of its kind
the great auk
-
extreme or more than usual
great worry
-
of significant importance or consequence
a great decision
-
-
of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable
a great writer
-
( as noun )
the great
one of the greats
-
-
arising from or possessing idealism in thought, action, etc; heroic
great deeds
-
illustrious or eminent
a great history
-
impressive or striking
a great show of wealth
-
much in use; favoured
poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era
-
active or enthusiastic
a great walker
-
doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale
what a great buffoon
he's not a great one for reading
-
(often foll by at) skilful or adroit
a great carpenter
you are great at singing
-
informal excellent; fantastic
-
informal (intensifier)
a dirty great smack in the face
-
archaic
-
pregnant
great with child
-
full (of)
great with hope
-
-
(intensifier, used in mild oaths)
Great Scott!
-
informal
-
to be informed about
-
to be enthusiastic about or for
-
adverb
noun
great-
2
British
prefix
-
being the parent of a person's grandparent (in the combinations great-grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandparent )
-
being the child of a person's grandchild (in the combinations great-grandson, great-granddaughter, great-grandchild )
great
More Idioms
Usage
What are other ways to say great? Something that is great may be unusually or comparatively large in size or number. How is great different from the adjectives large and big? Find out more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
greatnessnoun
-
half-greatadjective
-
overgreatadjective
-
quasi-greatadjective
-
greatlyadverb
-
overgreatlyadverb
-
quasi-greatlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of great
First recorded before 900; Middle English greet, Old English grēat; cognate with Dutch groot, German gross
Explanation
As an adjective great describes things that are very good, large, or important — like a great movie, a great forest, or a great battle that changed the course of a war. Great can also be a noun: a person who is a legend in his or her field, like Aretha Franklin, a soul great, or Wayne Gretzky — a hockey great who became known as "the Great One." Only a few people qualify for the distinction of being a great — it takes a remarkable talent that continues to awe people long after the person's heyday.
Vocabulary lists containing great
Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5
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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:
No great quarterback options for the Browns, and Tampa Bay’s defense should bounce back after giving up 33 to Ohio’s other team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
"Some people never have the chance to find such a thing on their own land," he said, saying it was "a great feeling" and that he had become "quite attached" to the bracelet.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
"I think the great significance of these findings, and the tantalizing picture that it promotes, is a great motivation and reason to further examine solid-state nitrogen physics at very low temperatures," Umurhan said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
Sen. John Cornyn condemned his “intolerance and racism,” warning “this is how great political parties self-destruct.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
For meanwhile, in the weeks since Mrs. Kleermaker’s unexpected visit, a great deal had happened at the Beje.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
I’ve lived to this age, I’ve seen my seven children grow up, my 21 grandchildren and 65 great- and great-great grandchildren.’
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
Think about that: The most plausible explanation for this series of events is that George Richardson’s father, my great- great-great grandfather, was born aboard a slave ship.
From Slate ● Dec. 19, 2022
My great- grandmother, my grandmother, my father — they inspired me.
From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2021
Graphic: Bond returns in 2021: not so great-
From Reuters ● Mar. 10, 2021
The hilt of the great- sword Dawn poked up over his right shoulder.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
He ends it as the attack leader, with statistics that stack up alongside some of the all-time greats of the game.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
“The greats aren’t perfect. But they do learn from their mistakes.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Despite his tough start on the international stage, Messi went on to become one of the all-time greats, winning the World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
A poetic circle: Wynton followed the greats, and posthumously, they followed him back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
As whistles go, Mrs. Pickwell’s was one of the all- time greats.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
No player across Europe's top five leagues has made a greater contribution in front of goal.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Modern analytical methods have made it possible to investigate food lipids in far greater detail.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
There is a misconception that greater connectivity with family and friends acts as a kind of salve for longer deployments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The U.S., where large retail chains were taking greater control of the market, was among the countries labeled red, Strong said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
Madison, and to an even greater extent Jefferson, seemed to think that economic policy consisted of getting out of the way to allow the natural laws of economic recovery and growth to proceed.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
How is your company measuring the return on its AI investments, and where are you seeing the greatest value?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
MarketWatch Picks: This is the ‘single greatest resource available to a retirement saver,’ says this Goldman Sachs retirement strategist.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I never thought the day would come that I’d have to say such a final goodbye. Getting the opportunity to love you will always be the greatest blessing in my life,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Researchers also want to determine which approaches provide the greatest benefits relative to their cost.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
“And a prophecy made before you were born cannot take into account the greatest influence of all.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
