Nearby Words
Synonyms
great
[greyt] adjective, -er, -est, adverb, noun, plural greats, (especially collectively
) great, interjection adjective
1.
unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions: A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.
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; first-rate; very good: We had a great time. That's great!
5.
EXPANDbeing such in an extreme or notable degree: great friends; a great talker.
6.
notable; remarkable; exceptionally outstanding: a great occasion.
7.
important; highly significant or consequential: the great issues in American history.
8.
distinguished; famous: a great inventor.
9.
of noble or lofty character: great thoughts.
10.
chief or principal: the great hall; his greatest novel.
11.
of high rank, official position, or social standing: a great noble.
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.
a.
enthusiastic about some specified activity (usually followed by at, for, or on): He's great on reading poetry aloud.
b.
skillful; expert (usually followed by at or on): He's great at golf.
16.
COLLAPSEbeing of one generation more remote from the family relative specified (used in combination): a great-grandson.
adverb
17.
Informal. very well: Things have been going great for him.
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Great
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
noun
18.
a person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field: She is one of the theater's greats.
19.
great persons, collectively: England's literary great.
20.
(often initial capital letter) greats, (used with a singular verb) Also called great go. British Informal.
) greats, (used with a singular verb) Also called great go. British Informal. a.
the final examination for the bachelor's degree in the classics and mathematics, or Literae Humaniores, especially at Oxford University and usually for honors.
b.
the course of study.
c.
the subject studied.
interjection
Idiom21.
(used to express acceptance, appreciation, approval, admiration, etc.).
22.
(used ironically or facetiously to express disappointment, annoyance, distress, etc.): Great! We just missed the last train home.
23.
great with child, being in the late stages of pregnancy.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English greet, Old English grēat; cognate with Dutch groot, German gross
before 900; Middle English greet, Old English grēat; cognate with Dutch groot, German gross
Related forms
great·ness, noun
half-great, adjective
o·ver·great, adjective
o·ver·great·ly, adverb
o·ver·great·ness, noun
EXPANDSynonyms
1. immense, enormous, gigantic, huge, vast, grand. Great, big, large refer to size, extent, and degree. In reference to the size and extent of concrete objects, big is the most general and most colloquial word, large is somewhat more formal, and great is highly formal and even poetic, suggesting also that the object is notable or imposing: a big tree; a large tree; a great oak; a big field; a large field; great plains. When the reference is to degree or a quality, great is the usual word: great beauty; great mistake; great surprise; although big sometimes alternates with it in colloquial style: a big mistake; a big surprise; large is not used in reference to degree, but may be used in a quantitative reference: a large number (great number). 6. noteworthy. 7. weighty, serious, momentous, vital, critical. 8. famed, eminent, noted, notable, prominent, renowned. 9. elevated, exalted, dignified. 10. main, grand, leading.
1. immense, enormous, gigantic, huge, vast, grand. Great, big, large refer to size, extent, and degree. In reference to the size and extent of concrete objects, big is the most general and most colloquial word, large is somewhat more formal, and great is highly formal and even poetic, suggesting also that the object is notable or imposing: a big tree; a large tree; a great oak; a big field; a large field; great plains. When the reference is to degree or a quality, great is the usual word: great beauty; great mistake; great surprise; although big sometimes alternates with it in colloquial style: a big mistake; a big surprise; large is not used in reference to degree, but may be used in a quantitative reference: a large number (great number). 6. noteworthy. 7. weighty, serious, momentous, vital, critical. 8. famed, eminent, noted, notable, prominent, renowned. 9. elevated, exalted, dignified. 10. main, grand, leading.
Antonyms
1. small. 6–8, 10, 11, 14. insignificant.
1. small. 6–8, 10, 11, 14. insignificant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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|
Link To great
Example Sentences
- The flow of credit into housing was simply too great to be explained by government arm-twisting.
- Allowing larger groups sounds great.
- Thank you for the great job you guys are doing.
Collins
World English Dictionary
| great (ɡreɪt) | |
| —adj (foll by with) | |
| 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. | a. of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable: a great writer |
| b. (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: what a great buffoon; he's not a great one for reading |
| 14. | ( |
| 15. | informal excellent; fantastic |
| 16. | informal (Brit) (intensifier): a dirty great smack in the face |
| 17. | archaic |
| a. pregnant: great with child | |
| b. full (of): great with hope | |
| 18. | (intensifier, used in mild oaths): Great Scott! |
| 19. | informal be great on |
| a. to be informed about | |
| b. to be enthusiastic about or for | |
| —adv | |
| 20. | informal very well; excellently: it was working great |
| —n | |
| 21. | choir Compare swell Also called: great organ the principal manual on an organ |
| [Old English grēat; related to Old Frisian grāt, Old High German grōz; see | |
| 'greatly | |
| —adv | |
| 'greatness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
great
O.E. great "big, coarse, stout," from W.Gmc. *grautaz (cf. O.S. grot, O.Fris. grat, Du. groot, Ger. groß "great"). Originally "big in size, coarse," it took over much of the sense of M.E. mickle, and is now largely superseded by big and
EXPAND large except for non-material things. As a prefix to terms denoting "kinship one degree further removed" (1538) it is from the similar use of Fr. grand, itself used as the equivalent of L. magnus. An O.E. way of saying "great-grandfather" was þridda fæder, lit. "third father." In the sense of "excellent, wonderful" great is attested from 1848. Great White Way "Broadway in New York City" is from 1901. Greatcoat "large, heavy overcoat" is from 1661. Great Spirit "high deity of the North American Indians," 1703, originally translates Ojibwa kitchi manitou. The Great War originally (1887) referred to the Napoleonic Wars, later (1914) to what we now call World War I (see world).
COLLAPSE
" 'The Great War' -- as, until the fall of France, the British continued to call the First World War in order to avoid admitting to themselves that they were now again engaged in a war of the same magnitude." [Arnold Toynbee, "Experiences," 1969]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
great
In addition to the idioms beginning with great, 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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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