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:
It’s been great to hear all the folks who people were thinking of.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
But they’re great for focusing the public’s attention.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
Kennedy goes to great pains to declare that Róisín isn't her and she's not Róisín, "but there are similarities".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Leverage works great when asset prices rise, but concentrating a large share of your wealth in a single, illiquid, undiversified asset also magnifies downside risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Dr. Harlow concludes that Phineas had "a great fondness for children, horses, and dogs—only exceeded by his attachment for his tamping iron, which was his constant companion during the remainder of his life."
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“When I beat him, I’ll be one of the greats in this division, and then the next challenger will come and try to take the belt from me,” Van said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
She has indicated she will remain in the sport, but for now, there is time to savour an extraordinary career, with her place among boxing's greats set in stone.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
BBC Sport takes a look at the statistics that put the former England white-ball captain among the greats of the T20 game, and the reasons behind his remarkable longevity.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
It takes over an hour for the whole procession to pass any one spot on the mountain, and they’re all but guaranteed to watch greats such as four-time champion Tadej Pogacar in full flow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“I hear it happens to all the greats now and again.”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Residents involved with the group have reported greater awareness of available services and said they feel safer in the park, Aguilera said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The report calls for firefighting water supplies to be recognised as a critical public safety requirement, for "greater accountability" for the water sector and for increased hydrant maintenance.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue also addressed the U.N. on Wednesday and called for greater transparency into private companies developing cutting-edge AI models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Older examples tend to contain a greater proportion of chondrules and less matrix, while younger ones contain more of the cold, volatile-rich material.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
It was with the awe of a champion speaking of an even greater champion that Steve Eisman said, “Vinny is dark.”
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Donald, who spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, retired after the 2023 season as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Though it’s Daniels’s nonthrowing arm, the same injury cost him much of last year, a season after Daniels had one of the greatest rookie campaigns by a quarterback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
"In my time he's been our greatest captain," says Bellamy.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
But a new study published in Science suggests that preventing disturbances within existing forests, including selective logging and wildfires, can sometimes deliver the greatest benefits for the money spent.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
For more than the next one hundred years, the fate of the Hunley presented archaeologists, scholars, and the public in general with one of their greatest mysteries.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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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