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:
The Bells are a family of three siblings with great grades and great parents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
"Gavin is so great at what he does, I felt a lot of pressure to kind of prove that. It didn't really show within the first two weeks, which is normal."
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
An AI that’s great at solving medical or inventory-management puzzles is an AI that can be turned to any problem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Cuba for decades took great pride in its state-run, free and universal education system.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
In the middle of the cavern, a great, flat-topped stone gleamed like black ice.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The funeral service was held at Sant'Ambrogio Basilica and club greats including Paolo Maldini, Marco van Basten, Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Costacurta were in attendance.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Through 1953 National League Rookie of the Year Jim Gilliam, who spent three seasons with the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro Leagues before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, Baker met several Negro League greats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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
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
Showing greater consistency on the toss, not throwing the ball too far in front and keeping her wrist straighter have been MacMillan's pointers for a more reliable serve.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Sustained prices could improve upstream project economics, encourage higher development spending, while greater cash-flow visibility may prompt operators to resume deferred brownfield and asset-integrity work, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
A recent study found that people exposed to more unfavorable neighborhood social conditions when they were young adults had a greater likelihood of developing coronary artery calcification by midlife.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
Micron stock fell as unions push for a greater share of the memory-chip company's profits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
But the thought of freedom had stirred in me, and the shame of this inspection was greater than all the others.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The changes helped resolve his greatest weakness, lowering his chase rate on pitches out of the strike zone from 41.7% last year to 34.1% this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
They have one of the greatest untouched spots there is.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Over the subsequent 10 years, he completed one of football's greatest ever stories.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
In fact, one of the greatest hedge-fund managers of all time just disclosed a position in a little-known crypto stock tied to this same trend.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
At this point, with the search for sunken vessels still in its infancy, Throckmorton was among the world’s greatest experts in dating the approximate age of a shipwreck.
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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