great

[ greyt ]

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.

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 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

Other words from great

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use great in a sentence

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 | 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.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion | Nina Strochlic | January 8, 2015 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE 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 members: a great assembly

of relatively long duration: a great wait
of larger size or more importance than others of its kind: the great auk
extreme or more than usual: great worry
of significant importance or consequence: a great decision
- of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable: a great writer
- (as noun): the great; one of the greats
arising from or possessing idealism in thought, action, etc; heroic: great deeds
illustrious or eminent: a great history
impressive or striking: a great show of wealth
much in use; favoured: poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era
active or enthusiastic: a great walker
doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale: what a great buffoon; he's not a great one for reading
(often foll by at) skilful or adroit: a 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
- pregnant: great 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; excellently: it was working great

noun

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

Origin of great

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

Derived forms of great

greatly, adverb
greatness, noun

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

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