Word forms: comparative greater, superlative greatest, plural greats
1. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use great to describe something that is very large. Great is more formal than big.
The room had a great bay window.
...a great hall as long and high as a church.
Synonyms: large, big, huge, vast More Synonyms of great
2. adjective
Great means large in amount or degree.
I'll take great care of it.
Benjamin Britten did not live to a great age.
Synonyms: extreme, considerable, excessive, high More Synonyms of great
3. adjective
You use great to describe something that is important, famous, or exciting.
...the great cultural achievements of the past.
America can be great again.
Synonyms: major, lead, leading, chief More Synonyms of great
greatnessuncountable noun
A nation must take certain risks to achieve greatness.
Synonyms: strength, force, intensity, high degree More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: grandeur, dignity, majesty, generosity More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: importance, moment, weight, import [formal] More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: immensity, size, mass, length More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: grandeur, glory, majesty, splendour More Synonyms of great
4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You can describe someone who is successful and famous for their actions, knowledge, or skill as great.
Wes Hall was once one of the West Indies' great cricketers.
...the great George Padmore.
Synonyms: expert, skilled, talented, skilful More Synonyms of great
greatnessuncountable noun
Abraham Lincoln achieved greatness.
Synonyms: strength, force, intensity, high degree More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: grandeur, dignity, majesty, generosity More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: importance, moment, weight, import [formal] More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: immensity, size, mass, length More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: grandeur, glory, majesty, splendour More Synonyms of great
Synonyms: fame, glory, celebrity, distinction More Synonyms of great
5. plural noun
The greats in a particular subject or field of activity are the people who have been most successfulor famous in it.
[journalism]
...all the greats of Hollywood.
...cycling's all-time greats.
6. plural noun
The greats of popular modern music are records that have been successful and that continue to be popular.
[journalism]
...a medley of rock'n'roll greats.
7. adjective
If you describe someone or something as great, you approve of them or admire them.
[informal, approval]
Arturo has this great place in Cazadero.
They're a great bunch of guys.
I think she's great.
8. adjective
If you feel great, you feel very healthy, energetic, and enthusiastic.
I feel just great.
9. adjective
You use great in order to emphasize the size or degree of a characteristic or quality.
[emphasis]
...a great big Italian wedding.
...her sense of colour and great eye for detail.
10. exclamation
You say great in order to emphasize that you are pleased or enthusiastic about something.
[feelings]
Oh great! That'll be good for Fergus.
11. exclamation
You say great in order to emphasize that you are angry or annoyed about something.
[feelings]
'Oh great,' I thought. 'Just what I need.'
12. countable noun
Great is used as part of the name of a species of plant or animal when there is anotherspecies of the same plant or animal which is smaller and has different characteristics.
...the great white shark.
13. See also greater
More Synonyms of great
great-
(greɪt-)
prefix
Great- is used before some nouns that refer to relatives. Nouns formed in this way refer to a relative who is a further generation away from you. For example, your great-aunt is the aunt of one of your parents.
...Davis's great-grandmother.
great in British English
(ɡreɪt)
adjective
1.
relatively large in size or extent; big
2.
relatively large in number; having many parts or members
a great assembly
3.
of relatively long duration
a great wait
4.
of larger size or more importance than others of its kind
the great auk
5.
extreme or more than usual
great worry
6.
of significant importance or consequence
a great decision
7.
a.
of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable
a great writer
b.
(as noun)
the great
one of the greats
8.
arising from or possessing idealism in thought, action, etc; heroic
great deeds
9.
illustrious or eminent
a great history
10.
impressive or striking
a great show of wealth
11.
much in use; favoured
poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era
12.
active or enthusiastic
a great walker
13.
doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale
what a great buffoon
he's not a great one for reading
14. (often foll by at)
skilful or adroit
a great carpenter
you are great at singing
15. informal
excellent; fantastic
16. British informal
(intensifier)
a dirty great big lie
17. (postpositive; foll bywith) archaic
a.
pregnant
great with child
b.
full (of)
great with hope
18.
(intensifier, used in mild oaths)
Great Scott!
19. be great on
adverb
20. informal
very well; excellently
it was working great
noun
21. Also called: great organ
the principal manual on an organ
Compare choir (sense 4), swell (sense 16)
Derived forms
greatly (ˈgreatly)
adverb
greatness (ˈgreatness)
noun
Word origin
Old English grēat; related to Old Frisian grāt, Old High German grōz; see grit, groat
great- in British English
prefix
1.
being the parent of a person's grandparent (in the combinations great-grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandparent)
2.
being the child of a person's grandchild (in the combinations great-grandson, great-granddaughter, great-grandchild)
great in American English
(greɪt)
adjective
1.
of much more than ordinary size, extent, volume, etc.
; esp.,
a.
designating a thing or group of things larger than others of the same kind
the great cats are tigers, lions, etc.; the Great Lakes
b.
large in number, quantity, etc.; numerous
a great company
c.
long in duration
a great while
2.
much higher in some quality or degree; much above the ordinary or average
; esp.,
a.
existing in a high degree; intense
a great light, great pain
b.
very much of a; acting much as (something specified)
a great reader
c.
eminent; distinguished; illustrious; superior
a great playwright
d.
very impressive or imposing; remarkable
great ceremony
e.
having or showing nobility of mind, purpose, etc.; grand
a great man, great ideas
3.
of most importance; main; chief
the great seal
4. Informal
clever; expert; skillful
usually with at
great at tennis
5. US, Informal
excellent; splendid; fine
6. Chiefly Dialectal
pregnant
: chiefly in great with child
adverb
7. Informal
very well
noun
8.
a great or distinguished person
usually used in pl.
SIMILAR WORDS: large
Idioms:
great on
the great
Derived forms
greatly (ˈgreatly)
adverb
greatness (ˈgreatness)
noun
Word origin
ME grete < OE great, akin to Ger gross, Du groot < IE base *ghrēu-, rub hard over, crumble > grit, Welsh gro, sand: basic sense “coarse, coarsegrained”
great- in American English
(greɪt)
older (or younger) by one generation
each additional great- shows one further generation removed
great-aunt, great-great-grandson
Word origin
< great, taken as intensifier
More idioms containing
great
be going great guns
great oaks from little acorns grow
make great play of something
no great shakes
Examples of 'great' in a sentence
great
And it does not get a great deal worse than this.
The Sun (2017)
Social media is great but people voice their opinions in the wrong way sometimes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was my first time but she made me feel great.
The Sun (2017)
Jumping in the ocean is one of the great joys in my life.
The Sun (2016)
While they are big in area, many of the great modern reservoirs can be disappointing for birds.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The controls clearly show which speed is suitable for which task, with a great number and variety of options.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Let's go make something great!
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
IT has been a sad year for music with many all-time greats passing away.
The Sun (2016)
He said: 'It was a great day.
The Sun (2016)
She said:'I will say it is great to have a woman in charge of the country.
The Sun (2016)
You may also need to move quickly if you wish to secure a great deal.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We feel great sadness when a person dies or is hurt on our land.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
One of the great modern managerial careers now hinges on a long shot.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There are a great number of exercise ideas to choose from.
Vera Peiffer POSITIVELY FEARLESS: Breaking free of the fears that hold you back (2001)
So often one great performance will overwhelm the rest.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Which is not to say the great gutting was unnecessary.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
That you say you have something of great importance to our cause.
Iain Gale Man of Honour (2007)
Being on the ocean was another of her great pleasures.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Washington has to recognise that it needs a great deal of help.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We made a renewed commitment to use great works of art in our own ministry back home.
Christianity Today (2000)
To work with that group of people has been great.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
She also had great taste in music.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
To take up this great offer go to our website.
The Sun (2014)
Some of these new services have great views from the top deck.
The Sun (2013)
My free leaflet on how to get a great social life is full of ideas.
The Sun (2006)
Then you notice the whacking great big lighthouse back left.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The guys behind the scenes are doing a great job.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We beat the greats of cinema.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So how do they match up against the all-time greats?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
So just to be back at Wembley again is great.
The Sun (2010)
He is quick and skilful, he has great and scores tries.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The island is also renowned as the great white shark capital of Australia.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The Olympics would have been good but not great.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He said: 'It would be great to see her win one of them'
The Sun (2010)
Moreover, the risk of injury is so great- " "Thank you, Counsel.
James W. Huston BALANCE OF POWER (1998)
In other languages
great
British English: great /ɡreɪt/ ADJECTIVE
very largeGreat means very large.
The king lived in a great palace.
American English: great
Arabic: عَظِيم
Brazilian Portuguese: grande
Chinese: 伟大的
Croatian: velik
Czech: velký
Danish: stor
Dutch: enorm
European Spanish: gran
Finnish: suuri mahtava
French: super
German: groß
Greek: εξέχων
Italian: grande
Japanese: 大きな
Korean: 큰
Norwegian: stor
Polish: wielki
European Portuguese: enorme
Romanian: imens
Russian: огромный
Latin American Spanish: gran
Swedish: stor
Thai: ยิ่งใหญ่
Turkish: büyük müthiş
Ukrainian: великий
Vietnamese: to lớn
British English: great /ɡreɪt/ ADJECTIVE
very importantGreat means very important.
The computer was a great invention.
American English: great
Arabic: هامّ
Brazilian Portuguese: importante
Chinese: 重要的
Croatian: značajan
Czech: významný
Danish: stor
Dutch: belangrijk
European Spanish: grande
Finnish: hieno
French: grandtrès important
German: toll
Greek: σπουδαίος
Italian: grande
Japanese: 優れた
Korean: 중요한
Norwegian: flott
Polish: wspaniały
European Portuguese: grande
Romanian: semnificativ
Russian: важнейший
Latin American Spanish: importante
Swedish: stor
Thai: สำคัญ
Turkish: harika
Ukrainian: величний
Vietnamese: quan trọng
British English: great /ɡreɪt/ ADJECTIVE
excellent If you say that something is great, you mean that it is very good.
We had a great time.
American English: great
Arabic: عَظِيم
Brazilian Portuguese: fantástico
Chinese: 非常好的
Croatian: odličan
Czech: skvělý
Danish: fantastisk
Dutch: geweldig
European Spanish: sensacional
Finnish: mahtava
French: très bien
German: schön
Greek: εξαιρετικός
Italian: fantastico
Japanese: 素晴らしい
Korean: 매우 좋은
Norwegian: fin
Polish: świetny
European Portuguese: ótimo
Romanian: grozav
Russian: замечательный
Latin American Spanish: genial
Swedish: underbar
Thai: ดีมาก
Turkish: iyi
Ukrainian: чудовий
Vietnamese: tuyệt vời
All related terms of 'great'
great ape
any of the larger anthropoid apes , such as the chimpanzee , orang-utan , or gorilla
great auk
a large flightless auk , Pinguinus impennis, extinct since the middle of the 19th century
Great Dog
→ the Great Dog
great job
If you describe someone or something as great , you approve of them or admire them.
great joy
Joy is a feeling of great happiness.
great on
enthusiastic about
great tit
a large common Eurasian tit , Parus major , with yellow-and-black underparts and a black-and-white head
Great War
World War I
the great
those who are great
great-great-
→ great-
great-aunt
an aunt of one's father or mother ; sister of one's grandfather or grandmother
Great Basin
a semiarid region of the western US, between the Wasatch and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, having no drainage to the ocean : includes Nevada, W Utah , and parts of E California , S Oregon , and Idaho . Area: about 490 000 sq km (189 000 sq miles)
Great Bear
the constellation Ursa Major
Great Belt
a strait in Denmark , between Zealand and Funen islands, linking the Kattegat with the Baltic
Great Dane
a very large, powerful , yet graceful breed of dog with a short smooth coat
great egret
a large, white heron ( Egretta alba ) found in the marshy areas of every continent
Great Falls
city in WC Mont., on the Missouri River : pop. 57,000
Great Glen
→ the Great Glen
great gross
a unit of quantity equal to one dozen gross (or 1728)
great idea
An idea is a plan , suggestion , or possible course of action.
Great Lakes
a group of five lakes in central North America with connecting waterways : the largest group of lakes in the world: consists of Lakes Superior , Huron , Erie , and Ontario , which are divided by the border between the US and Canada and Lake Michigan , which is wholly in the US; constitutes the most important system of inland waterways in the world, discharging through the St Lawrence into the Atlantic . Total length: 3767 km (2340 miles). Area: 246 490 sq km (95 170 sq miles)
Great Mogul
any of the Muslim emperors of India (1526–1857)
great news
News is information about a recently changed situation or a recent event.
great-niece
a daughter of one's nephew or niece ; granddaughter of one's brother or sister
great organ
relatively large in size or extent; big
Great Ouse
a river in E England, rising in Northamptonshire and flowing northeast to the Wash near King's Lynn ; for the last 56 km (35 miles) follows mainly artificial channels . Length: 257 km (160 miles)
great place
A place is any point, building, area, town, or country.
Great Power
a nation that has exceptional political influence , resources , and military strength
great room
→ family room
Great Sark
the larger northern section of the island of Sark in the Channel Islands, connected to Little Sark by a narrow isthmus
Great Satan
any force, person, organization, or country that is regarded as evil , used esp of the United States by radical Islamists
great seal
the principal seal of a nation , sovereign , etc, used to authenticate signatures and documents of the highest importance
great sense
If you have a sense of guilt or relief , for example, you feel guilty or relieved .
great skua
a predatory gull-like bird, Stercorarius skua , which harasses gulls or terns into dropping or disgorging fish they have caught
Great Stour
a river in S England, in Kent , rising in the Weald and flowing N to the North Sea: separates the Isle of Thanet from the mainland
Great Trek
→ the Great Trek
great-uncle
an uncle of one's father or mother ; brother of one's grandfather or grandmother
Great Wall
a vast sheet of many thousands of gravitationally associated galaxies detected in the universe
Great Week
the week preceding Easter , the equivalent of Holy Week in the Western Church
great wheel
the wheel immediately driven by the power source
great world
fashionable society and its way of life
great year
one complete cycle of the precession of the equinoxes ; about 25 800 years
Great Britain
Great Britain is the island consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales, which together with Northern Ireland makes up the United Kingdom.
great bustard
a large bird, Otis tarda , thought to be the heaviest terrestrial bird capable of flight
great calorie
→ calorie (sense 2 )
great chance
If you have a chance to do something, you have the opportunity to do it.
great circle
a circular section of a sphere that has a radius equal to that of the sphere
great council
(in medieval England) an assembly of the great nobles and prelates to advise the king
Great Divide
a principal mountain watershed
Great Escape
→ the Great Escape
Chinese translation of 'great'
great
(ɡreɪt)
adj
(= large)[area, amount, number]巨大的 (jùdà de)
⇒ a great black cloud of smoke一团巨大的黑烟 (yī tuán jùdà de hēiyān)