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:
Milwaukee is an easy city to fill a day in without necessarily making a grand plan.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
The kitchen flows into a spacious family room overlooking the backyard through floor-to-ceiling windows, while the living room is anchored by a marble fireplace and Dewan’s grandparents’ grand piano.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Defensive line coach Giff Smith described the acquisition of Garrett, who amassed an NFL-season record 23 sacks last season, as “a grand slam.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
As college football makes its grand return, the entire sport is barreling straight into uncharted territory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Meanwhile, the train is slowing to a stop; Baltimore’s Penn Station—less grand than Union Station but still stately and cavernous—has come into view.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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
I’m my own Aunt Matilda: when I was a kid I once dreamed of hitting a grand- slam home run and two days later I hit a bases- loaded triple.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
However, the 20-year-old can expect to face a challenge from a resurgent McLaren and in particular Lando Norris, who has won the past two grands prix.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 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
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
Mercedes have dominated the 2026 season so far, winning all the grands prix from pole position.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 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
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
Vienna's heurigers range from a few tables set up in the open air to grander affairs resembling restaurants.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 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
Travel agency or not, Costco has grander travel ambitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
He saw past the present moment as though with a magic scope; through this special lens he saw an empire rise, grander and mightier than anything his father had commanded, even in his heyday.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Whereas Welsh national teams only used to dream of playing on the world's grandest stages, there is now an expectation they get there – and that stems from 2016.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Then again, even though “Goal” was shown only on video monitors, the Bowl with its new sound system worked brilliantly as the grandest cinema on the planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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
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 its walled garden, an icehouse, and a stable with room for twelve horses, Morris’s home was among the grandest in what was then America’s largest, most prosperous city.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
