great

[ greyt ]

/ greɪt /

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See synonyms for: great / greater / greatest / greatness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, great·er, great·est.

unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions: A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

large in number; numerous: Great hordes of tourists descend on Europe each summer.

unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc.: great pain.

wonderful; very good; first-rate: We had a great time.That's great!

being such in an extreme or notable degree: great friends;a great talker.

exceptionally outstanding; notable; remarkable: a great occasion.

highly significant or consequential; important: the great issues in American history.

distinguished; famous: a great inventor.

of noble or lofty character: great thoughts.

chief or principal: the great hall; his greatest novel.

of high rank, official position, or social standing: a great noble.

much in use or favor: “Humor” was a great word with the old physiologists.

of extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable: a great statesman.

of considerable duration or length: We waited a great while for the train.

Informal.

enthusiastic about some specified activity (usually followed by at, for, or on): He's great on reading poetry aloud.
skillful; expert (usually followed by at or on): He's great at golf.

being of one generation more remote from the family relative specified (used in combination): a great-grandson.

adverb

Informal. very well: Things have been going great for him.

noun, plural greats, (especially collectively) great.

a person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field: She is one of the theater's greats.

great persons, collectively: England's literary great.

(often initial capital letter)greats, (used with a singular verb)Also called great go. British Informal.

the final examination for the bachelor's degree in the classics and mathematics, or Literae Humaniores, especially at Oxford University and usually for honors.
the course of study.
the subject studied.

interjection

(used to express acceptance, appreciation, approval, admiration, etc.).

(used ironically or facetiously to express disappointment, annoyance, distress, etc.): Great! We just missed the last train home.

OTHER WORDS FOR great

1 immense, enormous, gigantic, huge, vast, grand.

6 noteworthy.

7 weighty, serious, momentous, vital, critical.

8 famed, eminent, noted, notable, prominent, renowned.

9 elevated, exalted, dignified.

10 main, grand, leading.

See synonyms for great on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR great

1 small.

7, 8, 11 insignificant.

See antonyms for great on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 9

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Idioms about great

great with child, being in the late stages of pregnancy.

Origin of great

First recorded before 900; Middle English greet, Old English grēat; cognate with Dutch groot, German gross

OTHER WORDS FROM great

great·ness, nounhalf-great, adjectiveo·ver·great, adjectiveo·ver·great·ly, adverb

qua·si-great, adjectivequa·si-great·ly, adverb

Words nearby great

greasies, greasy, greasy goal, greasy spoon, greasy wool, great, great ape, Great Attractor, great auk, great-aunt, great auricular nerve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say great?

Something that is great may be unusually or comparatively large in size or number. How is great different from the adjectives large and big? Find out more on Thesaurus.com.

How to use great in a sentence

Along with Noma chef René Redzepi, Puglisi is a groundbreaking chef of new Nordic Cuisine, which turned Copenhagen into one of the world’s greatest dining destinations.
Christian Puglisi Is Closing His Influential Copenhagen Restaurants. COVID Is Only Partly to Blame|Rafael Tonon|September 17, 2020|Eater
There's also an influx of counterfeit cheaper whiskies seeping into the markets, which could pose an even greater challenge, albeit less of a headline-grabbing one.
It’s now possible to detect counterfeit whisky without opening the bottle|Jennifer Ouellette|September 17, 2020|Ars Technica
In 2012, 85 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of Democrats said the United States was the greatest nation.
Poll: Sharp partisan differences now exist on foreign policy, views of American exceptionalism|Dan Balz, Scott Clement|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
“China is a great nation, and we should hope for the continued expansion.”
Trump’s most popular YouTube ad is a stew of manipulated video|Glenn Kessler, Meg Kelly|September 17, 2020|Washington Post

Florida’s way down, Texas is now way down, Arizona, governor’s done a great job.
Timeline: The 124 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat|Aaron Blake, JM Rieger|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Tend to your own garden, to quote the great sage of free speech, Voltaire, and invite people to follow your example.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It would became one of the first great mysteries in the United States of America, as it was only then 23 years old.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, this is more about protecting the legacy of a ‘great man.’
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Great American leaders have long contributed profound thoughts of tremendous consequence to the public discourse.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“He turned pale, trembled to a great degree, was much agitated, and began to cry,” she told the court.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
"Capital, capital," his lordship would remark with great alacrity, when there was no other way of escape.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
I waited three months more, in great impatience, then sent him back to the same post, to see if there might be a reply.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
After a minute's pause, while he stood painfully silent, she resumed in great emotion.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty-one cities, near a hundred walled towns, and a great number of villages.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
This is a feature by means of which it is always possible to distinguish the Great Horsetail from any other species.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin

British Dictionary definitions for great (1 of 2)

great

/ (ɡreɪt) /

adjective

relatively large in size or extent; big

relatively large in number; having many parts or membersa great assembly

of relatively long durationa great wait

of larger size or more importance than others of its kindthe great auk

extreme or more than usualgreat worry

of significant importance or consequencea great decision

of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkablea great writer
(as noun)the great; one of the greats

arising from or possessing idealism in thought, action, etc; heroicgreat deeds

illustrious or eminenta great history

impressive or strikinga great show of wealth

much in use; favouredpoetry was a great convention of the Romantic era

active or enthusiastica great walker

doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scalewhat a great buffoon; he's not a great one for reading

(often foll by at) skilful or adroita great carpenter; you are great at singing

informal excellent; fantastic

British informal (intensifier)a dirty great smack in the face

(postpositive foll by with) archaic

pregnantgreat with child
full (of)great with hope

(intensifier, used in mild oaths)Great Scott!

be great on informal

to be informed about
to be enthusiastic about or for

adverb

informal very well; excellentlyit was working great

noun

Also called: great organ the principal manual on an organCompare choir (def. 4), swell (def. 16)

Derived forms of great

greatly, adverbgreatness, noun

Word Origin for great

Old English grēat; related to Old Frisian grāt, Old High German grōz; see grit, groat

British Dictionary definitions for great (2 of 2)

great-

prefix

being the parent of a person's grandparent (in the combinations great-grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandparent)

being the child of a person's grandchild (in the combinations great-grandson, great-granddaughter, great-grandchild)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with great

great

In addition to the idioms beginning with great

great deal
great guns
great many
great minds run in the same channel, all
great shakes
great white hope

also see:

good (great) deal
good (great) many
go to any length (great lengths)
have a good (great) mind to
make great strides
no great shakes
set (great) store by

great

OTHER WORDS FOR great

OPPOSITES FOR great

Idioms about great

Origin of great

OTHER WORDS FROM great

Words nearby great

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say great?

Words related to great

How to use great in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for great (1 of 2)

Derived forms of great

Word Origin for great

British Dictionary definitions for great (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with great