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:
That’s great, but is Mark Walter selling the Dodgers?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Mr Badr is a pride for Afghanistan and a great fighter," says Sultan Mohammad Talaee.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Thirty-five years of Ukrainian independence constitutes a great victory, especially given the battles of the past 12 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
“The ranchers are great; they’re my people. I love the ranchers,” he told reporters.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
To the great astonishment of me and Lloyd and probably Dad, Tansy barked, “They aren’t going to put that pointer in the ground. It’s worth good money, and there’s plenty of use left in it!”
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
A European, World, Commonwealth and Olympic champion on the pommel horse, he is undeniably one of the sport's greats, but we've been warned to expect 'Rhys 2.0' in Glasgow.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 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
It was a role that, had she not vanished, may have launched a storied career to rival the greats.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
The spending not shown on balance sheets is even greater.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Since turning 70, Irving has had a clearer recognition “that there was less time ahead than there was behind and a greater sense of urgency — with both happiness and sadness — associated with that.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
In academia, there is no greater sin than passing off another’s work as one’s own.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Among the older participants, those with detectable levels of R inulinivorans had 29% greater handgrip strength than those in whom the bacterium could not be detected.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
There’s a greater chance of being struck by lightning or attacked by a shark.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Mice with the greatest brain hyperactivity when they were young later developed the most severe memory problems.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Last Sunday's nine-wicket defeat for the world's top-ranked side in Darwin was widely seen as one of Test cricket's greatest upsets.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
This explains why my brain reflexively associated Ritchson’s latest work in a movie classic cinema buffs would likely dismiss as trash, with one of the greatest performers of early 20th century cinema.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
But the greatest threat they face, at least in terms of public opinion, is not outrage but indifference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
That means that breathing in or swallowing a radioactive isotope poses the greatest danger.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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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