giant

[ jahy-uhnt ]

/ ˈdʒaɪ ənt /

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See synonyms for: giant / giants on Thesaurus.com

noun

(in folklore) a being with human form but superhuman size, strength, etc.

a person or thing of unusually great size, power, importance, etc.; major figure; legend: a giant in her field; an intellectual giant.

(often initial capital letter)Classical Mythology. any of the Gigantes.

Mining. monitor (def. 12).

Astronomy. giant star.

adjective

unusually large, great, or strong; gigantic; huge.

greater or more eminent than others.

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Origin of giant

1250–1300; Middle English geant<Old French <Latin gigant- (stem of gigās) <Greek Gígās; replacing Old English gigant<Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM giant

gi·ant·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use giant in a sentence

Once giants walked this earth, and some of them were Democrats.
Time to Bring Back the Truman Democrats|Joel Kotkin|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rob Marshall lets a sigh of relief erupt so loud it could be heard by giants in the sky.
Rob Marshall Defends ‘Into the Woods’|Kevin Fallon|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A plastic factory, a hardware supplier, and shipping–and-receiving giants like Fed-Ex and DHL are neighboring businesses.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama|Jeff Campagna|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scans of many of these have been amassed by Vieira on his Facebook page, Stone Builders, Mound Builders and the Giants of Ancient.
Hunting for a Real-Life Hagrid|Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Giants are the cornerstone of the myths, legends, and traditions of almost every culture on Earth.
Hunting for a Real-Life Hagrid|Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hell below was in an uproar to meet thee at thy coming, it stirred up the giants for thee.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The testimony of literature throughout the ages was almost unanimous in its condemnation of giants.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
There could never be anything friendly, anything possessing, in a land destined for a race of primeval giants.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
There were the giants, those renowned men that were from the beginning, of great stature, expert in war.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The underground fight grew every moment fiercer; the giants joined issue with their foes.
Black Diamonds|Mr Jkai

British Dictionary definitions for giant

giant

/ (ˈdʒaɪənt) /

noun

a mythical figure of superhuman size and strength, esp in folklore or fairy talesAlso (feminine): giantess (ˈdʒaɪəntɪs)

a person or thing of exceptional size, reputation, etca giant in nuclear physics

Greek myth any of the large and powerful offspring of Uranus (sky) and Gaea (earth) who rebelled against the Olympian gods but were defeated in battle

pathol a person suffering from gigantism

astronomy See giant star

mining another word for monitor (def. 8)

adjective

remarkably or supernaturally large

architect another word for colossal

Derived forms of giant

giant-like, adjective

Word Origin for giant

C13: from Old French geant, from Vulgar Latin gagās (unattested), from Latin gigās, gigant-, from Greek

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

giant

Origin of giant

OTHER WORDS FROM giant

Words related to giant

How to use giant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for giant

Derived forms of giant

Word Origin for giant