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.
Because Pratt’s campaign was great on the A.I.-generated streets but not the actual city of Los Angeles, the state has become the latest flashpoint for an election panic.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
"Because here she was, the great safeguarder of women. But who was safeguarding her, at her time of need?"
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Of course, in the atomic age, wars between imperial great powers, as in World War I and World War II, are no longer truly conceivable.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
“It’s a great partnership and makes Jen very happy,” one insider recently told People magazine.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
“This is great, but now I have to wait until next week to face my fears, right?”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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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