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:
“But I have a great job, and I could do a lot of great things from this perch.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
“It’s great when you’re taking it with carbohydrates,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Features include a two-story great room with a fireplace, eat-in kitchen and adjacent family room, screening room, game room, and cowboy bar with horse-saddle seats.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
"The everyday average Joe like me, we're not doing great at all."
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
Captain Colayco is celebrated as a great freedom fighter.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Where he stands in that list of greats will be shaped by eras and opinions, according to former internationals Paul Robinson and Murphy.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
“When I beat him, I’ll be one of the greats in this division, and then the next challenger will come and try to take the belt from me,” Van said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
He ends it as the attack leader, with statistics that stack up alongside some of the all-time greats of the game.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
A poetic circle: Wynton followed the greats, and posthumously, they followed him back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I hear it happens to all the greats now and again.”
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Some environmental groups agree tribes should have a greater say, yet support the project because it’s pitched as a major cleanup effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
During a 2021 interview with Uncut, Love reflected on the message behind the Beach Boys’ song “Don’t Go Near the Water,” which addressed environmental pollution and encouraged greater awareness of humanity’s impact on the planet.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
At the same time, Americans have gravitated in recent years toward larger vehicles, which hit pedestrians with greater force.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
When the scientists considered Neu5Gc intake from all dietary sources combined, participants in the highest intake group had a 37% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those in the lowest group.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
I writhed against the ropes, consumed by fury that felt so much greater than myself.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Recruiting the talented Nghiem was one of the championship team’s greatest successes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Getting older is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
“We saw it in the theater and she was like, ‘That is the greatest movie I’ve ever seen.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
"We're among the schools with the greatest needs so the students really need the most seasoned teachers."
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“We are in the midst of one of the greatest social experiments this country has ever seen,” said Eisman.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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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