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.
She laughed some more when I told her that their leader, Medea Benjamin, was a great salsa dancer.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
"It's a great thing going forward for the environment and will be influential in helping take a lot of litter off the streets," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
The sustainability of this spending matters a great deal for deciding whether stocks are expensive.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Lincoln gets credit only for “We are met on a great battle-field of that war.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
I could no longer even pray for family and friends by name, so great was the fear and longing wrapped around each one.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
