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.
"I've wanted this fight for ages and we should give the fans a great fight in women's boxing," added the former undisputed light-welterweight champion.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
“Maybe they’re on a cruise somewhere, or in Hawaii or some other great place. We want those pictures,” Levin said in a video soliciting images from the public.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
“They were out there looking for him, the soldiers were all over the place looking for him because they knew he was somewhere. A lot of great things happened.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
“If Iran gets great, I think the world will get great,” said Narjes Delacai, 66, who left the northern Iranian city of Mashhad decades ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
In their place, great garlands of sticks and leaves hung above him, as though a tree were growing upside down from the ceiling.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
