big
1 Americanadjective
-
bigger,
comparative
-
biggest
superlative
-
large, as in size, height, width, or amount.
a big house; a big quantity.
- Antonyms:
- little
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of major concern, importance, gravity, or the like.
a big problem.
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outstanding for a specified quality.
a big liar; a big success.
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important, as in influence, standing, or wealth.
a big man in his field.
- Synonyms:
- consequential
-
big enough to know better.
-
my big sister.
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doing business or conducted on a large scale; major in size or importance.
big government.
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consisting of the largest or most influential companies in an industry.
Big steel wants to lower prices, but the smaller mills don't.
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Informal. known or used widely; popular.
Nouvelle cuisine became big in the 1970s.
-
magnanimous; generous; kindly.
big enough to forgive.
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boastful; pompous; pretentious; haughty.
a big talker.
-
a big voice.
-
(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.
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Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pregnant.
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Obsolete. very strong; powerful.
adverb
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Informal. boastfully; pretentiously.
to act big; to talk big.
-
Informal. with great success; successfully.
to go over big.
noun
idioms
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big with child. great.
-
be big on, to have a special liking or enthusiasm for.
Mother is big on family get-togethers.
verb (used with object)
adjective
-
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
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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
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extravagant; boastful
he's full of big talk
-
(of wine) full-bodied, with a strong aroma and flavour
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conceited; unduly self-confident
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in an advanced stage of pregnancy (esp in the phrase big with child )
-
informal enthusiastic about
that company is big on research
adverb
-
boastfully; pretentiously (esp in the phrase talk big )
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in an exceptional way; well
his talk went over big with the audience
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on a grand scale (esp in the phrase think big )
verb
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to build
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to excavate (earth) into a pile
Usage
What is a basic definition of big? Big describes something that is large in height, weight, size, or amount. Big can also describe something that is significant or, informally, something that is popular. Big has many other senses as an adjective and a few as an adverb and a noun. Big can describe things that are tall, wide, massive, or plentiful. It’s a synonym of words such as large, great, and huge, describing something as being notably high in number or scale in some way.
- Real-life examples: The Grand Canyon is a big hole in the ground. Jupiter is a big planet. You would need a big box to hold 300 books. Skyscrapers are big buildings.
- Used in a sentence: The restaurant brought out a big table to seat all 30 of us.
- Real-life examples: Jumping out of a plane without a parachute is a big mistake. A comet hitting Earth would be a big issue. The discovery of life on Mars would be big news.
- Used in a sentence: The mold in our house turned into a big problem when we found out it was toxic.
- Real-life examples: Disco was big in the 1970s. The internet started to become big in the 1990s when computers became affordable and connection speeds improved.
- Used in a sentence: The actor was big 10 years ago but now nobody knows who he is.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of big1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English big(ge), beg(ge); of unknown origin
Origin of big2
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English biggen, beggen, buggen, originally, “to inhabit, reside,” from Old Norse byggja, byggva “to inhabit, settle,” cognate with Old English bū(i)an, German bauen “to build, erect”
Explanation
Something big is just plain large or important. A big class has a lot of kids. A big room is larger than average. A big newspaper story is one that makes the front page. Some people hate the idea of "big government" which means a federal government that plays a significant role in the day-to-day lives of its people. You might talk big at your reunion, but you really haven't traveled the world. (You went to Hoboken and Walla Walla!) Big can also pertain to age, as in "Will you be a big girl and get dressed all by yourself?"
Vocabulary lists containing big
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:
It has also been structuring over-the-counter derivatives, including for those who want to hedge against a big collapse in prices going forward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
“I get so excited — it’s a big momentum changer.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Having shown he can hold his own alongside established broadcasters, actors and comedians, big things could now be in store for Kenny.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
In the past two top-flight games, City have only scored one goal despite managing to create nine big chances.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
“No, Aunt J, I’m not on drugs. Promise. I just don’t feel like making a big deal out it.”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"The march was just the trailer," a party leader told the BBC, adding that "Sunday's rally will be several times bigger than that".
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
But critics warn down-payment debt could burden buyers and that Proposition 37 does little to address a bigger issue: the cost of building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
The horror genre is bigger than ever, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report that says this year’s domestic box office reached nearly $1.3 billion as of the start of October.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
Still, the index’s tech sector has seen an even bigger gain so far in 2026 — around 19% — despite fears over the AI trade as chip stocks sold off in October.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
It’s not that grief ever gets smaller, it’s that life gets bigger around it.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
But there are certain celebrities, such as Miranda Hart, King Kenny, Maya Jama and Joanne McNally, who have been tipped by industry experts as getting the biggest career boost after the show.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Some of the change in parenting might be attributed to the biggest disruptor of childhood in many current teens’ lives: COVID-19.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
In the western city of Cologne, where one of the biggest demonstrations took place, police fired water cannon to disperse a crowd after saying protesters had targeted officers with fireworks.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Some of the biggest preorders that have been publicly announced … achieved 8 million preorders by launch. ‘
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
“Aw, Daisy, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I couldn’t climb that sycamore. It’s the biggest one in those bottoms. Why, it’s a hundred and fifty feet to the first limb.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
"We bigged him up before kick off for his technical abilities, and he has just shown them again here. This guy is an outstanding player."
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2023
“This agreement has been bigged up as something that will be a solution to the world’s food shortage, and it is just not,” said Tracey Allen, an agricultural commodities strategist at JPMorgan Chase.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2022
Brendan was never as good as people bigged him up to me.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2015
Across the world in Los Angeles, the Compton Cricket Club is bigged in by Cloth's Bullets – a song, like the CCC itself, dedicated to fighting homelessness and gang culture with civility and dignity.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 25, 2013
I've allus taen care that t' moors hae bin cropped fair; thou reckons thou'll feed mair yowes an' lambs on t' moors when thou's bigged thy walls; but thou weant, thou'll feed less.
From Tales of the Ridings by C. Vaughan
"Without bigging myself up, people have been knighted for less than that."
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2025
Perhaps the city is not as forward about bigging itself up as somewhere like Manchester.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2024
Another massive performance and others aside from Sinfield might be bigging him up.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 19, 2023
Patrick Vieira has been bigging up Michael Olise, and warning off potential suitors.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 11, 2022
"About this bit bourock, your honour," answered the undaunted Edie; "I mind the bigging o't."
From The Antiquary — Volume 01 by Sir Walter Scott
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
