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:
“We hit it off, and we’ve been great buddies since,” Lombardi said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
"It is a great honour to become head coach of Belgium," Van Bommel said.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“We look forward to a great and fun evening celebrating 250 years of American greatness and a free press,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In the A.I. age, Maggie Hennessy asserts, sparring with a grouchy maître d’ over the phone is part of what makes dining out great.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Board of Education set great store by her.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
It takes over an hour for the whole procession to pass any one spot on the mountain, and they’re all but guaranteed to watch greats such as four-time champion Tadej Pogacar in full flow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"That's why you have some of the greats in women's sports. If Title IX and women's sports weren't protected, then you wouldn't hear about any type of women in sport."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
After moving to Los Angeles, he became a favorite live and session player for many midcentury greats, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Marvin Gaye.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Yet the lasting images from both tournaments are of all-time greats such as Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi dancing on the field.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Like all athletic greats, Woolf was a driving perfectionist.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
The greater threat to the Fury-AJ super-fight is injury.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ferguson said Boeing's model of building with regional partners was intended to give countries greater control over the capability rather than simply importing a US system.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
“They inspire perseverance and a sense of connectedness to something greater, to nature,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mathematically, a 50% chance at $1.3 million carries an expected value of $650,000 — meaning the statistical average payout of the gamble is 10 times greater than the guaranteed amount of $65,000.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
He had rejected the more aggressive steps recommended by the Joint Chiefs, for fear of expanding the war and sparking greater protests at home.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Around the league, his onetime rivals imagined teaming up with one of the two greatest players ever to take the hardwood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Whatever unfolds across these extraordinary coming hours, we are about to find out whether the biggest fight in British boxing history is going to be a reality or destined to remain the sport's greatest what-if.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
It was the greatest NBA Finals comeback in history and brought the Cavaliers their first title.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
What they’re really entering is a natural amphitheater, transformed by the Tour de France, into one of the greatest stadiums in sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Phineas Gage's mother said her son exhibited himself here at P. T. Barnum's American Museum on Broadway in New York City Barnum was the gaudiest showman and greatest hoaxer of his age.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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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