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.
Recently, England have occasionally favoured hunch selections, with some players thrust into Test cricket without a great deal of first-class experience.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
He said that while he expected Amazon to work with third-party AI agents to improve customer service, the service those agents provide wasn’t all that great yet.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
Chesterton nailed it when he said “the great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad, for all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
"Yes, the inflation number last month was not great," Vance told reporters at the White House.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Prisoners on kitchen detail lugged in great buckets of gruel made of wheat and peas, tasteless but nourishing.
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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