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:
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
Three years ago, Atusa Parsa bought a laundromat in Fullerton, Calif., after social media convinced her it would be a great investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Like my own trips to Blackpool as a player, it was spit and sawdust but everyone bought into it and attacked every challenge with great gusto and spirit.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
"The everyday average Joe like me, we're not doing great at all."
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
"The great Sancho is right," the doctor said.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
But, having recovered to reach career-best fitness, the next three years now provide him with the opportunity to cement himself among the all-time greats.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
“The greats aren’t perfect. But they do learn from their mistakes.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Despite his tough start on the international stage, Messi went on to become one of the all-time greats, winning the World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
A poetic circle: Wynton followed the greats, and posthumously, they followed him back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
In my personal collection I have tapes by such old-time greats as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Lotte Lehmann and Lisa Della Casa; that’ll give us something to discuss while I set up my Voigt-Kampff equipment.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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
One counterintuitive finding is that countries with greater equality between the sexes tend to have higher fertility rates, which might explain in part why the U.S. runs ahead of many of its regional counterparts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Compared with the lowest intake group, individuals in the highest group had a 63% greater risk of developing the disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Agriculture remains a sensitive area for India, which is reluctant to expose farmers to greater foreign competition.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
When the potential energy in the fault becomes greater than the force, called friction, that holds the plates together, the top plate breaks free and springs upward.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
"That's when you have the greatest opportunity to capture the attention of active buyers," he said.
From BBC ● 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
“He’s proven that to us. He had the greatest game I’ve ever seen played by an individual player last year against us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● 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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