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.
But competition is pretty great among U.S. tech firms and, even more virulently, between U.S. firms and Chinese ones.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
"It's just great fun to travel all around the country and meet the people - people are what make a football trip special."
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
“To move from the center of Los Angeles in the city to one of five suburbs that had great public schools, I was nervous,” recalls Farr.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Benjamin Graham, the great investor after whose book this newsletter is named, was a big believer in giving investors “something to do.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 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
