grand
1 Americanadjective
-
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
plural
grands, grand-
Informal. an amount equal to a thousand dollars.
The cops found most of the loot, but they're still missing about five grand.
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
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
- grandly adverb
- grandness noun
- ungrand adjective
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
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.
Countries will first host their own national selections before the grand final in Bangkok, to be broadcast live on 14 November.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Hegel was a metaphysician whose insistence that Geist, or spirit, pervades the historical process and moves it to some grand culmination is difficult to distinguish from New Age mysticism, and hence charlatanism.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
Freddie Freeman, whose grand slam doomed the New York Yankees, held the 2024 trophy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
The move comes shortly after Sony Honda Mobility of America announced the grand opening of the Afeela studio and delivery hub in California.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
Since the regatta and the grand opening of the OldMill, the marina almost never has canoes sitting empty, and there hasn’t been a night that the OldMill hasn’t been packed.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
