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:
A tropical downpour delayed attempts to get the grand prix under way for the best part of an hour.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Russell retired from the grand prix while in third place with a power unit failure.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Through three weeks, the Patriots have scored a grand total of 36 points—and in their lone victory, over the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of their touchdowns belonged to the defense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
What could have been a grand welcome has become a gated off, highly controlled space that now feels separate from the park and the neighborhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
When a dancer attempts to lay an egg, it is called a grand plié.
From "The Interrupted Tale" 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
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
After 14 grands prix, and with either eight or nine remaining depending on the war in the Middle East, Antonelli is a massive 81 points clear of team-mate George Russell.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
After a major upgrade to their car, Norris has won the past two grands prix, in Hungary and the Netherlands.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 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
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
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
Rowan, who originally had grander plans for the property but pulled back, has filed multiple lawsuits and spent years battling the local zoning board over septic systems, dock rights, and parking complaints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 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
Some serve as simple repositories for papers and key artifacts from their namesake administration, while others have grander ambitions as museums and cultural destinations.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 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
Mr. Wellbeloved was a white man whose office was grander than any I had ever seen; his desk seemed as wide as a football field.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Her work surrounded them, and her studio, the grandest space in the house, stood open just beyond the living room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 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
As Stuart scholar Ellen Miles has written, the Lansdowne Portrait, as it is known, is “Stuart’s grandest American accomplishment,” a beautiful picture that “was quickly recognized as the best pictorial summation of Washington’s public role.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 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
It was a very grand house, by far the grandest in Cherry-Tree Lane.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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.
