great

[ greyt ]

adjective

, great·er, great·est.

1. unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions:

   A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

   Synonyms: grand, vast, huge, gigantic, enormous, immense

   Antonyms: small

2. large in number; numerous:

   Great hordes of tourists descend on Europe each summer.

3. unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc.:

   great pain.

4. wonderful; very good; first-rate:

   We had a great time.

   That's great!

5. being such in an extreme or notable degree:

   great friends;

   a great talker.

6. exceptionally outstanding; notable; remarkable:

   a great occasion.

   Synonyms: noteworthy

7. highly significant or consequential; important:

   the great issues in American history.

   Synonyms: critical, vital, momentous, serious, weighty

   Antonyms: insignificant

8. distinguished; famous:

   a great inventor.

   Synonyms: prominent, notable, noted, eminent, famed, renowned

   Antonyms: insignificant

9. of noble or lofty character:

   great thoughts.

   Synonyms: dignified, exalted, elevated

10. chief or principal:

    the great hall;

    his greatest novel.

    Synonyms: leading, grand, main

11. of high rank, official position, or social standing:

    a great noble.

    Antonyms: insignificant

12. much in use or favor:

    “Humor” was a great word with the old physiologists.

13. of extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable:

    a great statesman.

14. of considerable duration or length:

    We waited a great while for the train.

15. Informal.
    1. enthusiastic about some specified activity (usually followed by at, for, or on ):

       He's great on reading poetry aloud.

    2. skillful; expert (usually followed by at or on ):

       He's great at golf.

16. being of one generation more remote from the family relative specified (used in combination):

    a great-grandson.

adverb

1. Informal. very well:

   Things have been going great for him.

noun

, plural greats, (especially collectively) great.

1. a person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field:

   She is one of the theater's greats.

2. great persons, collectively:

   England's literary great.

3. (often initial capital letter) greats, (used with a singular verb) Also called great go. British Informal.
   1. the final examination for the bachelor's degree in the classics and mathematics, or Literae Humaniores, especially at Oxford University and usually for honors.
   2. the course of study.
   3. the subject studied.

interjection

1. (used to express acceptance, appreciation, approval, admiration, etc.)
2. (used ironically or facetiously to express disappointment, annoyance, distress, etc.):

   Great! We just missed the last train home.

great-

¹

prefix

1. being the parent of a person's grandparent (in the combinations great-grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandparent )
2. being the child of a person's grandchild (in the combinations great-grandson, great-granddaughter, great-grandchild )

great

²

/ ɡreɪt /

adjective

1. relatively large in size or extent; big
2. relatively large in number; having many parts or members

   a great assembly

3. of relatively long duration

   a great wait

4. of larger size or more importance than others of its kind

   the great auk

5. extreme or more than usual

   great worry

6. of significant importance or consequence

   a great decision

7. 1. of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable

      a great writer

   2. ( as noun )

      the great

      one of the greats

8. arising from or possessing idealism in thought, action, etc; heroic

   great deeds

9. illustrious or eminent

   a great history

10. impressive or striking

    a great show of wealth

11. much in use; favoured

    poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era

12. active or enthusiastic

    a great walker

13. doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale

    he's not a great one for reading

    what a great buffoon

14. often foll by at skilful or adroit

    you are great at singing

    a great carpenter

15. informal.
    excellent; fantastic
16. informal.
    (intensifier)

    a dirty great smack in the face

17. archaic.
    postpositivefoll bywith
    1. pregnant

       great with child

    2. full (of)

       great with hope

18. (intensifier, used in mild oaths)

    Great Scott!

19. be great on informal.
    1. to be informed about
    2. to be enthusiastic about or for

adverb

1. informal.
   very well; excellently

   it was working great

noun

1. Also calledgreat organ the principal manual on an organ Compare choir swell

Derived Forms

• ˈgreatness, noun
• ˈgreatly, adverb

Other Words From

• great·ness noun
• half-great adjective
• o·ver·great adjective
• o·ver·great·ly adverb
• qua·si-great adjective
• qua·si-great·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of great¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of great¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing great

• 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

Example Sentences

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.

From 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.

From Ars Technica

In 2012, 85 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of Democrats said the United States was the greatest nation.

From Washington Post

“China is a great nation, and we should hope for the continued expansion.”

From Washington Post

Florida’s way down, Texas is now way down, Arizona, governor’s done a great job.

From Washington Post

Tend to your own garden, to quote the great sage of free speech, Voltaire, and invite people to follow your example.

From The 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.

From The Daily Beast

Unfortunately, this is more about protecting the legacy of a ‘great man.’

From The Daily Beast

Great American leaders have long contributed profound thoughts of tremendous consequence to the public discourse.

From The Daily Beast

“He turned pale, trembled to a great degree, was much agitated, and began to cry,” she told the court.

From The Daily Beast

"Capital, capital," his lordship would remark with great alacrity, when there was no other way of escape.

From Project Gutenberg

I waited three months more, in great impatience, then sent him back to the same post, to see if there might be a reply.

From Project Gutenberg

After a minute's pause, while he stood painfully silent, she resumed in great emotion.

From Project Gutenberg

The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty-one cities, near a hundred walled towns, and a great number of villages.

From Project Gutenberg

This is a feature by means of which it is always possible to distinguish the Great Horsetail from any other species.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• best
• brilliant
• consummate
• excellent
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• fine
• magnificent
• nonpareil
• peerless
• superlative
• supreme

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.