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.
It is a bitterly disappointing way to exit the tournament for Sinner, whose favourite tag was enhanced further with defending champion and great rival Carlos Alcaraz missing with injury.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
It’s not just social commentary filling the spot in a setlist, and the only reason we’re hearing it — the only reason it was released — is that it is a genuinely great song.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
“It’s a great thing that we’re seeing this interest and cultural shift into wearables,” said Mintu Turakhia, a cardiac electrophysiologist who co-led that study.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
"The genetic patterns suggest that saltwater crocodile populations remained connected over long periods and across great distances, pointing to the high mobility of this species," explains first author Stefanie Agne of the University of Potsdam.
From Science Daily • May 28, 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
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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