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.
From “Mr. Show” to “Key & Peele,” from “A Black Lady Sketch Show” to “A Bit of Fry and Laurie,” great sketch comedy feels a little like magic.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
Insiders say that task was made all the more difficult by the great care Murrell had taken to disguise what he was doing from the SNP's auditors, officials and elected representatives.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
But that great memory also carries some drawbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
US President Donald Trump said Monday that a deal with Tehran would either be "great and meaningful" or there would be "no deal" at all.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
So great was Fred’s control that he had not ducked out the alleyway exit, but came strolling back through the shop.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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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