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:
“Wants to win; prepared; great competitor,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
These are the kind of lapses that big companies go to great lengths to drill out of executives, through private coaches or exercises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
It wasn’t great on the body, but yeah, I’ve had a lot of experience running.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
"We are shocked by what happened," she told Ansa, describing it as "a great loss for the museum, for the city, the community and the art world".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Prisoners on kitchen detail lugged in great buckets of gruel made of wheat and peas, tasteless but nourishing.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
“Now they just added to that, with maybe the best pitcher in the game, certainly one of the greats in this era.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 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
"That's why you have some of the greats in women's sports. If Title IX and women's sports weren't protected, then you wouldn't hear about any type of women in sport."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
That allowed him to coach at a World Cup and European Championship, while also working with global greats including Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin de Bruyne.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
I he on the couch and just listen to the greatest of the greats jam on vinyl.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
“Sometimes you need to do things that might be unpopular if it’s going to be something that benefits the greater good. A healthy economy is the tide that raises all ships.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
In a letter defending open models last month, Nvidia argued they give customers greater control over their data and help them prevent being “locked into a single provider.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
“UAVs not ‘specially designed’ for a military use with an endurance of three hours or greater will continue to be controlled,” the notice said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Eukaryotes living in these settings would have had access to abundant nutrients and organic material, conditions that could have supported greater diversity and the development of multicellularity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
The bigger Lippmann’s short position grew, the greater the implicit expression of contempt for these people and their industry—an industry quickly becoming Wall Street’s most profitable business.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
He’s gotten to meet visiting coaches through the years and seen some of the greatest players coming through the Trinity League.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
When creating the presidency, one of the Framers’ greatest worries was that holders of the new office would break through all the anti-monarchical provisions of the Constitution to become autocrats.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
In March, a resolution was passed at the United Nations recognising slavery as "the greatest crime against humanity" - though the United States voted against the resolution and every European nation abstained from the vote.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Because their bodies are still developing, younger generations are expected to experience the greatest lifetime exposure to elevated atmospheric CO2.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
The whereabouts of Franklin and his men would become one of the world’s greatest mysteries, inspiring scores of books, poems, and ballads.
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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