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:
In addition to grand, impersonal forces, there are moments that act as hinge points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Three singles, a hit batter and a grand slam later, the Tigers trailed for good.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The two pictures, hung side by side in the gallery, have a wistful air, conjuring a grand and spellbinding Roman past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
You are lucky and/or willing to keep working, and ensure that you top up your retirement fund, and keep yourself in the lifestyle — however grand or modest — to which you have become accustomed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Mater and Pater Lumley had declined Lord Fredrick’s invitation to live in the grand house at Ashton Place but had happily accepted his offer of a small cottage on the grounds.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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
At noon one of old Grandma’s grand- nieces brought Ku’oosh two lard pails.
From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko
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
Although that event takes F1 to the 21 grands prix needed to satisfy various commercial contracts, Domenicali is determined for there to be another race after the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 21 November.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Lewis Hamilton has had four penalties in the past three grands prix, which does seem a lot for a seven-time world champion.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Hamilton out-qualified Leclerc only seven times last year across all qualifying sessions, over 24 grands prix and six sprints.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
In fact, Edna’s grands aren’t here because they live in California, and Michael’s are in Minnesota.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
But this “Our” also aspires to grander things, suggesting inclusivity, a hallmark of Mr. Dudamel’s 17 seasons at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he achieved international fame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 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
He "made my world so much brighter, grander and more delightful than I could have ever understood it to be", she wrote on Instagram.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
Monaco's royal Christmas card is much grander, with a big fire, oil painting, formal clothes, and a sense of regal order.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
It has crown molding, a marble fireplace, and grander rooms than they have furniture for.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
It was the first time since Tom Watson in 1977 that a 72nd green birdie had secured golf's oldest and grandest title by a single shot.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
While Messi has spent his entire life playing for the world’s grandest teams—Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Argentina—Vozinha had only turned professional at 25, plying his trade in Angola, Moldova and Cyprus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Then the theme music was adopted by the grandest global sporting event there is: the World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Spielberg turned one of science fiction’s grandest ideas — first contact with alien life — into the story of a boy and his weird little space-faring goblin best friend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
It was the grandest parade of wildlife anyone had ever seen, and leading the way was our robot, Roz.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
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.
