large
Usage
What are other ways to say large?
In reference to the size and extent of concrete objects, large is somewhat formal, great is highly formal and even poetic, suggesting also that the object is notable or imposing, and big is the most general and most colloquial word: a large tree; a great oak; a big tree; a large field; great plains; 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.
Hutchings uses scallops, large shrimp and fish fillets, but other options like oysters, lobster tails, crabs, mussels and clams are perfectly acceptable.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
With large unpaid sums at stake, tax evasion counts as a felony that can lead to prison time.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
The 70-year-old CEO also noted how rapid increases in oil prices helped cause large recessions in the 1970s and 1980s, though the U.S. is less vulnerable to those types of shocks today.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
They’d been expecting a large file, but sorting through 400 pages was overwhelming at first.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
The two cranes were intertwined in the clouds, silvery blues and grays, and Ma had added a large circle of gold and yellow threads above them.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
