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:
Still pending are the sculpting of the south-facing Glory façade, the eventual front of the church, celebrating Christ triumphant, and the addition of a grand entrance staircase envisioned by Gaudí.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The contest, including rehearsals, the semi-finals and grand final, will be held at Bulgaria's newest sports and entertainment venue, Arena Burgas, which was opened in 2023.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
And in May, federal prosecutors dropped a massive indictment against the Broadview Six, a group of Chicago protesters, after grand jury transcripts revealed shocking misconduct.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026
“We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
I knew better than to expect anything as grand as my old library with its brick exterior, white columns, and stone statues posing out front.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
“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
A week with the grand- ’rents and I was desperate enough to contemplate the vile crime of beef felony.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
It’s not to be confused with Apple TV’s sports offerings, such as MLS matches, Formula One grands prix, or Friday baseball.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2026
The average for 2025's 24 grands prix, discounting sprints, was 66.9.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Meadows calls the domaine’s namesake wine an aggregator of the top qualities of all the grands crus, Burgundy’s top-tier vineyards, forming a mystical combination of aromatics and liquid silk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
The championships have become international, and while F2/F3 covers freight costs centrally, being on the F1 support bill means personnel have to travel to cities hosting grands prix.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
I expected us to immediately move on to greater things, like arabesques, grands jetés, and pirouettes, but we couldn’t.
From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince
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
In Paris, it’s planning an even grander statement: a vast new flagship incorporating hotel rooms and space to exhibit art from its foundation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
How much grander would have been the tumult if Indian societies had survived in full splendor!
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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
This wasn’t some scruffy satellite tournament in the Poconos, but the fresh-cut lawn of Centre Court, the sport’s grandest cathedral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 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
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
With nearly eight hundred rooms and a vast, monolithic façade overlooking the Thames, the Cecil was Europe’s largest, if not grandest, hotel—a site typically reserved for diplomatic or national events.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
