great
Usage
What are other ways to say great?
In reference to the size and extent of concrete objects, great is highly formal and even poetic, suggesting also that the object is notable or imposing, large is only somewhat formal, and big is the most general and most colloquial word: a great oak; a large tree; a big tree; great plains; a large field; a big field. 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 usually not used in reference to degree, but may be used in a quantitative reference: a large number (great number).
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:
“When we used to defend airfields, either you got bombed from a great distance or it was an insurgency coming through the wire,” says Greg Bagwell, president of the U.K.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
But there are great opportunities and great things that come out of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
"It's a great testament to the resilience of nature."
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
“It is a great challenge, one of the main challenges Spain will face in coming years,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
‘I knew as soon as Hord told me about him. Only a Soul Eater could have trapped so great a demon.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
BBC Sport takes a look at what could be the end of the international careers of two football greats.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Where he stands in that list of greats will be shaped by eras and opinions, according to former internationals Paul Robinson and Murphy.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
But concern is the prevailing mood among the culinary greats gathered in Mexico.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
He wrote essays and conducted oral interviews with UFW greats such as Hartmire and Gilbert Padilla who were essential to the union’s success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
For those looking for a good time, the State Street “Stroll,” between Twenty-Sixth and Thirty-Ninth Streets, offered a lively place to listen to the jazz greats and exchange the latest gossip.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
China's economic planning body said in April the deal must be unwound, a move analysts said signaled the country's desire for greater control over homegrown tech.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The first-of-its-kind research, published in the journal Nutrition Research, could also help consumers better understand the distinction between different types of trans fats and provide greater clarity around labeling policies that may contribute to confusion.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
The superior facilities and greater professionalism associated with Mumbai's sporting culture helped accelerate her development.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Biohub said the investment may pave the way for a greater understanding of disease and open up new paths for cures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
People who had migrated from their family farms to the coal camps and textile mills that had promised greater opportunity were forced to return home, including Colored men who had worked in the coal mines.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
The Tampa Bay Rays have been baseball’s greatest innovators for nearly two decades, using cutting-edge data to outsmart the competition despite their microscopic payroll.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Snow across North America and Eurasia reaches its greatest accumulation in March.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
"These are our heroes; the greatest children of Israel," said one police officer as he looked at portraits of his fallen colleagues.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Governing Quebec is the greatest honour I have ever had," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Perhaps the greatest paradox about understanding “the woods” is that so many who enjoy it, or seem to enjoy it, spend most of their time trying to kill parts of it.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Vocabulary lists containing great
Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5
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