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.
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began a two-day summit with a welcome ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People that featured an extraordinary display of power.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
The "Great British People" Facebook page, which purports to be from Yorkshire, has had 1.3 million views for its latest video of an elderly white British man crying about his pension.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
At a banquet in the Great Hall of the People, Nixon declared "there is no reason for us to be enemies".
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
“The Great American Road Trip” features the Duffys traveling throughout the U.S. in a video series celebrating the country’s 250th birthday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Like most disasters, the Great Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami came with little warning.
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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