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 are shocked by what happened," she told Ansa, describing it as "a great loss for the museum, for the city, the community and the art world".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Thank you, George, for some of your brilliant ideas on this great Military Complex/Ballroom!”
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
There is a great sadness in this book and also the occasional miraculous story of couples finding each other or of parents discovering a child who survived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Frozen fish and veggies are great to have around, too.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Now we were crossing the Grote Markt, the walls of the great cathedral glowing a thousand shades of gray in the crystal light.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
With this latest triumph, Hudson-Smith joined British greats Mo Farah and Roger Black on five golds, while matching Dina Asher-Smith as the most decorated British athlete in the history of the championships.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“Now they just added to that, with maybe the best pitcher in the game, certainly one of the greats in this era.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 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
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
Her home, which at one time was open to the greats in the worlds of art, business, and politics, is now closed to all but her staff, her advisors, and a few close friends.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
The Chosen Ones Espenson cites are part of a destiny ordained either by their bloodline or some greater lineage.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
But while campaigners welcome greater awareness, questions remain about misinformation and health anxiety.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
But analysts say the Arctic could serve as an important future trade route, particularly for China, which has outlined plans for greater access to the region through a "Polar Silk Road".
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
As the first of the boomers hit their 80s, there is also a greater urgency to see as much of the world as they can.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Pixies have always been abundant here. They like shiny things, pretty things, but their numbers seem to be even greater since you arrived. Like they smell what they really love. Gold.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
The pair’s greatest contribution to women’s basketball could be forcing the league to come up with some rule that keeps them out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Because their bodies are still developing, younger generations are expected to experience the greatest lifetime exposure to elevated atmospheric CO2.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
"The youth have a big role to play in the journey towards a developed India... the greatest beneficiary of a developed India is the youth of the country."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
"That is what causes me the greatest pain," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
One would be remiss to neglect the greatest unsolved mystery to strike the Yiddish stage, the fate of Molly Lewis.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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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