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:
They lived in a grand Right Bank mansion, entertained at lavish parties and brilliant salons, and mingled with royalty and literary luminaries at society weddings, the opera and the racetrack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The nearly 10,000-square-foot store at 6336 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road held its grand opening on Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida last month for selling more than five million counterfeit shipping labels to thousands of US customers over the years.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
In the end it doesn’t offer any grand theory of human behavior, only what you knew already, that everyone is different.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Aunt Kitty said the signs all pointed to the money—one hundred thirty thousand dollars was a grand sum.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
“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
That would be three generations away, so assuming William or George live as long as their grand- and great-grandmother, we’ll have to wait quite a while.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2022
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
The various members of the Pike family—parents, grand- parents, et al.—each thought someone else had bought Danny the new bicycle.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
Formula 1 grands prix will return to their standard distance in 2028 after the maximum length was shortened for next season.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Mercedes took 10 consecutive poles in the first 10 races, but have been beaten by McLaren's Lando Norris at the past two grands prix.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Mercedes have delivered on the expectation they would be the team to beat with eight wins and 10 pole positions in the first 11 grands prix, and Russell dominated his rookie team-mate in 2025.
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
While other children were having their parents or their dentists pull out their baby teeth, I was knocking mine out with my feet when I did grands battements.
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
The nascent Polish state found itself embroiled in localized wars with Germans, Lithuanians and Ukrainians alongside a grander struggle against the Soviets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The Tejon Pass isn’t nearly as tall as its grander sister mountain ranges, but no one has to haul a big rig loaded up with peaches over Mt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 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
Eschewing grander historical parallels, Vaez calls the current situation a "plastic moment", pregnant with possibility as old adversaries contemplate a different set of relationships.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
They lived in houses ten times larger and grander than Mr. Cheyney's and consorted with ladies of elegance and beauty.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
The Dodgers are going to squander the grandest opportunity of all — the possibility of the three-peat, something only two other MLB franchises have pulled off, and none in the National League.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
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
West Ham forward Hurst scored a fabulous hat-trick as the Three Lions clinched the game's grandest prize for the only time in their history - and on home soil.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
By the time Cleopatra was born, Alexandria had become the largest and grandest city in the world.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
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