| 释义 |
Definition of big in English: bigadjectivebigger, biggest bɪɡbɪɡ 1Of considerable size or extent. Example sentencesExamples - Using a biscuit or scone cutter, cut out rounds as big or as little as you like.
- A big cut in the dividend is inevitable, further undermining the case for holding the shares.
- Police are hunting the thieves, who cut a big hole in the fence to get to the aluminium.
- He said, you'll have to take a big cut in salary and you'll have to start at the bottom.
- The club has also provided uniforms for staff and held a big party for the children to celebrate the announcement of the grant.
- A big cut back in the number of council vans which we see all over the town would save a large amount of money.
- I had to present Michael with a great big sabre to cut the cake - we had a real laugh with it.
- Watching the top downhillers, you are struck by their size: they tend to be big, muscular and solid.
- Replacing council tax with a fair local tax would mean big tax cuts for ordinary families.
- He's been politically committed and has taken big cuts in his salary to make these kinds of films.
- They cut the big organic pasture next door yesterday, carting the hay away to be dried safely elsewhere.
- The brand is a well made children's line, which is cut on the big size for plenty of wear.
- The first cave is down by the grass, a big outcrop of rock cut below to an arched tunnel with a chimney through the top.
- Within a few minutes the men cut down two big branches from the tree.
- If your lawn is too big to cut without a rider, set aside a portion of your lawn for a push mower.
- We kept going as we knew we were close to the finish but we cut a big corner towards the finish and broke the windscreen.
- All the tests have proved negative but the sample size is not big enough to draw any firm conclusions.
- His game looked very pretty but he was a tall, spindly youth who simply could not cut it with the big, tough lads in his age group.
- We are a very small organisation and we are not staffed up to handle big surges in communication.
- Soon, Casper began cutting the material with big scissors, and pinning them on Freya.
Synonyms large, sizeable, of considerable size, substantial, considerable, great, huge, immense, enormous, extensive, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, prodigious, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monumental, mighty, stupendous, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic, epic, mountainous, megalithic, monstrous, Brobdingnagian towering, tall, high, lofty outsize, oversized, overgrown, cumbersome, unwieldy inordinate, unlimited, goodly capacious, voluminous, commodious, spacious, good-size(d), fair-size(d) king-size(d), man-size, family-size(d), economy-size(d) informal jumbo, whopping, whopping great, thumping, thumping great, bumper, mega, humongous, monster, astronomical, cosmic, almighty, dirty great, socking great, tidy British informal whacking, whacking great, ginormous literary massy well built, sturdily built, heavily built, sturdy, brawny, burly, broad-shouldered, muscular, muscly, well muscled, robust, rugged, lusty, Herculean, bulky, strapping, thickset, stocky, solid, hefty, meaty tall, huge, gigantic fat, stout, portly, plump, heavy, overweight, oversize, fleshy, paunchy, corpulent, obese, gargantuan, elephantine informal hunky, hulking, beefy, husky North American informal buff dated stalwart literary thewy, stark - 1.1attributive Larger than other items of the same kind.
Example sentencesExamples - The jury found him not guilty of one charge of grievous bodily harm - a fractured big toe on the child's left foot.
- It can affect anywhere but usually attacks the big toes or feet and ankles.
- The big toe is the classic place to find it, but it can affect other areas too.
- The house was owned by a great big giant, and a lively little pixie.
- He had distinctive brown eyebrows, wore dentures and was missing the big toe on his right foot.
- They were unable to save his left leg but used the big toe to replace his right thumb.
- I try to keep my legs together, keep tension on my big toes and almost tilt my feet in.
- But last month he began a new treatment for an ulcer on his big toe which has failed to heal for five years.
- It was around this time that Tim developed frostbite on his big toe.
- Attacks often happen at night and in 70 per cent of cases the first area to be affected is the joint of the big toe.
- There can also be a characteristic thickening of the skin over the lower legs and on the tops of the feet or big toes.
- I stick plasters on three toes to prevent blisters, and a gel cushion on my big toes to protect my toenails.
- It's actually quite relaxing, except for when she presses on an area near the big toe of my left foot which is total agony.
- A bunion is an abnormal, bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe.
- Because I love to walk around the house barefoot I had a crust of hard skin on my heels and along the side of my big toe.
- Because he had lain so long in the open he needed surgery on his right foot for frostbite and his big toe had to be amputated.
- She remembered that she could just wriggle her right big toe and hoped that someone would notice.
- Yesterday's blister got a little worse and grew to the big toe region.
- Again there is a difference between big and little toes as far as further treatment is concerned.
- Raise yourself onto the balls of both feet, pushing down onto your big toes.
- 1.2 Grown-up.
Example sentencesExamples - So, I told her that she is a big girl, that she has a phone number and if she wants to organise a party she can do it herself.
- Anyway, she wanted to be a big girl and to prove her parents how independent she could be.
- Anastasia just smiled, loving the fact that she was being called a big girl and a baby at the same time.
- I can say this because Anvar is a big girl now and a very successful journalist.
- She warned him again, "Jason, remember that mommy thinks you're a big boy now."
- The school didn't have a uniform and like a big girl I spent forever trying to figure out what to wear.
- Mama scolded me for crying, because I was a big girl, not a baby to cry like little Hope.
- If she gets in the way, it's unfortunate, but she's a big girl, she knows the score.
- She knew Mommy was busy, so she decided to be a big girl and take a bath all by herself.
- The big girls and boys, who were already five, were allowed to bring me up and show it to me.
- Prepping her for this, we talked to her encouraging her that when she turned 3 she would be a big girl and would sleep in her big girl bed.
- Now quit crying and be a big boy. Theres nothing to be afraid of.
- When I'm big, I'll be a policeman.
- "You're a big boy. I'm going to make you a very big boy's present," she told him. "Big boys drive fire engines."
- I should be surprised if he were not big enough and mature enough to handle it.
- When Im big, Ill be a chiropractor, too, he told that man, who he would encounter again during his first year of studies.
Synonyms grown-up, adult, mature, grown, full grown elder, older - 1.3attributive Elder.
Example sentencesExamples - She used to work for me and was very good at taking care of me like a big sister.
- Like my big sister, I've a gift of time, but no idea what to do with it.
- Then our big sisters said it was time to go and see Santa when I was still throwing snowballs.
- Still and silent, he didn't look like my big brother, who was always there to protect me.
- The little boy frowned and then he seemed to notice that his big sister was not alone in her room.
- Since your big sister is away, this could be a good time for you and your mom to get closer.
- With her big sister, Stephanie, who is also an accomplished violinist, she grew up in the region.
- So there you go, my big sister, at the age of 37 has finally found someone she wants to settle down with.
- She is going to be a nurse like her big sister, Margaret, who is nursing locally.
- She had lots of friends, but she clung on to her big sister Samantha, who she idolised.
- He continued to read the newspaper and I continued to worry about my big sister.
- Our dad nodded again and left the room as quickly as he had entered, leaving me alone with my big sister again.
- Little sisters are doing it for themselves, with a helping hand from their big sisters.
- The only bad thing was that he couldn't share his happiness with anyone but his big sister.
- My big brother and I were running toward the riverbank.
- Every day, we would nag my big sister Nadia to find out when our mother was going to come and fetch us.
- Not only that but I also know that as his big sister he does respect my opinions on some level so he gets quite hurt.
- Next to him sat my big sister and my mom, both staring at me, waiting for my reaction.
- If he can cast my big sister out, he wouldn't think twice about casting me out.
- Jamie hopes to reach dizzy heights just like big sister Amanda.
Synonyms older, senior, first, firstborn, more grown up - 1.4informal On an ambitiously large scale.
a small company with big plans Example sentencesExamples - Since then the pair have been inseparable and were looking forward to their big day, planned for this July.
- He knows he is joining a big club with big ambitions and those ambitions match his own.
- But his big long term plan is to switch to a pay per mile system of distance charging.
- Now these small islands are at the centre of a big plan to bring bring back luxury tourism.
- It is a black and white film about a teenaged girl with big dreams of becoming an actress.
- These are complemented by a mix of bars and lounges where entertainment comes on a big scale or in intimate surroundings.
- Although his dad has big ambitions for him, financial constraints are a problem.
- She had big travelling plans happening in less than a month and assumed she wouldn't see him again.
- But Debbie may not have much spare time for long because she has big plans for the future.
- Plans for the big day have been plagued by problems ever since it was announced two weeks ago.
- I hope they don't have any big plans to try and make me into a pop star or something.
- How might a small software company with big ambitions draw vast amounts of free advertising press coverage?
- If you were planning a big spend, particularly for household assets, go for it now.
- For once, they are the big spenders, with the big ambitions and better players.
- The children helped plan the big occasion and chose who the happy couple were to be.
- Its ambition was to create big films that could make an impact on the US market.
- "We have big plans for nuclear energy," he said at a joint briefing.
- While the project has barely begun, Thomas already has big plans for the course.
- But we are certainly not going to be giving up big assets which we have really big plans for.
- It is apparent that this young girl has big dreams and she is doing whatever she can to make them reality.
Synonyms ambitious, far-reaching, on a grand scale grandiose, unrealistic, overambitious - 1.5informal attributive Doing a specified action very often or on a very large scale.
Example sentencesExamples - Mickelson may be a big gambler, but all too often when the pressure is at its most intense he has left himself a busted flush.
- I'm not really a big eater of pies.
- This character was very Keith, since he was almost as big of an eater as Munch was.
- I'm not anti-gambling, but I'm also not a big gambler myself other than an occasional football pool.
- Though she was not a big eater herself, she enjoyed making other people happy with her meals.
- We're not big bean eaters in my household so doubtless I'll have plenty of spare to offer around at work.
- Im not a big sleeper, he declares, adding that his work on the show isnt hard just time-consuming."
- I'm not a big player of these types of games but thought I'd give this one a go.
- I've always been a big player of games. Ever since I can remember the holidays would involve me playing a lot of Monopoly, Cluedo or some other board game.
- 'My father is a big eater and my mother a good cook'.
- 1.6informal attributive Showing great enthusiasm.
Example sentencesExamples - Neither of us was really big on shopping, so we wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.
- I'm a big fan of yours, Neil, and have been for a long, long while, but something lately has been bothering me.
- I can't pretend to be a big fan, but I liked him very much in that series with Zoe Wannamaker, Love Hurts.
- She is a keen photographer, is a big fan of basketball and is passionate about deep sea diving.
- I have always been a big fan of stories about different background and cultures to my collection.
- I've never gone big on the fame thing, because that means a whole lot more.
- The affable star is big on eye contact, and smiles easily and often.
- While I'm not a big fan of graphic novels, I realize they can be a powerful medium for personal expression.
- As tourist must-sees go, this part of Brittany isn't big on manufactured attractions.
- Specifically he was probably rebelling against our parents, who were very big on doing everything right.
- When he was just a tiny two-year-old it was clear Nicolas Haworth had what it takes to be a big hit in the tennis world.
- My father had always been big on sports and had always wanted me to play sports as a kid.
- That's an honorable but perhaps ironic stance for a company which is big on its own inventiveness.
- So when it all works and you come out of it with the Ashes it is pretty much compulsory to go big on the champagne afterwards.
- The corporate market is not big on emotional responses to technology though.
- He'd always been big on sports, mainly soccer and ice hockey, and it was evident.
- Japanese cookery is big on freshness, using produce in season and sourced locally, where possible.
- The activities I liked best were arts and crafts, which my Mum is very big on.
- Even if you're not a big football fan, last night's Champions League final was a cracker.
- He wasn't big on compliments, however when he did give them it was clear he meant them with all his heart.
2Of considerable importance or seriousness. his biggest problem is money Example sentencesExamples - Some of the things you do are common sense, but you could make a big mistake if you didn't know what you were doing.
- Oblivious to the signs and portents that he's making a very big mistake, he takes the job.
- I'm very aware of what a big decision it is, but it's not the right time.
- Elections are not about issues, but for choosing which people we trust to make the big decisions on our behalf.
- She got it wrong on the restart, a little mistake but big consequences for everybody else.
- They thought their jobs were secure enough to make the big decision to buy a house.
- Anyone who runs a business but doesn't have a clear idea of how they will sell it or float it is making a big mistake.
- Ministers undoubtedly made big mistakes in the handling of the crisis.
- It was a big decision to donate my kidney, but it wasn't a problem in the end.
- A teenager who says a support group saved her from a life of crime has warned it would be a big mistake to let it close.
- With the easy wisdom of perfect hindsight, the big mistake is obvious.
- And do discuss it fully with your family before going ahead, as it is a very big decision.
- The touchstone of a great captain and team management is the ability to make big decisions.
- He doesn't wield any real power as long as the committee gets to make the big decisions.
- This was a big mistake and he always regretted the decision to give the plane to the museum.
- That was my big mistake and I paid the price for ignoring similar advice.
- What would life be like without all the anxieties and pitfalls of big decisions?
- It was a big mistake, but the things I learned from it made it a big mistake rather than a big failure.
- Calling for strike action, even now they have called off the first four planned days of action, may turn out to be a big mistake.
- Let us hope for a speedy solution to our transfer dealings and one where the big decisions made are for the good of the club on the pitch.
Synonyms important, significant, major, of great import, of significance, momentous, of moment, weighty, consequential, of consequence, far-reaching, key, vital, critical, crucial, life-and-death, high-priority, serious, grave, solemn no joke, no laughing matter - 2.1informal Very popular or successful.
African bands which are big in Britain Example sentencesExamples - Yellow school buses are big in America. Now a company in Newport is trying to make them big over here too.
- Badminton is big over here. I love virtually all racket based sports, and am hoping I can get my mom to play when she comes over.
- This draw was a big success for both the club and the county board last year.
- The organising committee thank all who helped make the night such a big success for a very worthy cause.
- She's not as big over here as some would have you believe, but she's still pretty successful.
- The sport is so big over here, the grandstands were packed with people cheering and celebrating.
- The Christmas draw on the same night was also a big success with a big demand for tickets right up to the time for the draw.
- He's big in Norway because he won two Olympic medals for that country and was knighted several years ago.
- The songs you listed are recent and still big over here.
- When someone has had a big success it doesn't make much in the news.
- He is so big over here in Europe, I'm not sure the Americans realise just how big.
- American Football isn't big over here at all. It's a shame because any games I've seen have usually been pretty good.
- All the sideshows and games attracted a lot of support and the bonny baby competition was a big success too.
- It's easier to be big in America if you're already big in Britain.
- The festival has been a big success this year with the children's events extremely popular.
- There is a reason that so few bands from Ireland make it internationally when they are so big over here.
- "No other English footballer has ever really made it big over here," he said. "I'd love to be well-known in America."
- This is her first book in English--she's BIG in Japan.
- A very big thank you to all those who participated and helped out in any way to make this event a big success.
- We tried scrumming but other than being funny, it wasn't a big success.
Synonyms popular, successful, commercially successful, in demand, sought-after, all the rage informal hot, in, cool, trendy, now, hip British informal, dated all the go - 2.2informal Holding an important position or playing an influential role.
as a senior in college, he was a big man on campus Example sentencesExamples - Certainly Davis has been a big influence on it, for his philosophy as much as for those jazz influences.
- Growing up in the environment he did played a very big part in influencing his direction.
- He was quick to point out that nurture plays a big role, not just our genes.
- This in turn will have a very big influence on the prospects for partnership in the future.
- And of course our family relationships are likely to play a big role in shaping ourselves.
- His father, he realises now, was a big influence on him becoming a comic.
- Big plans are now in the pipeline to open it up again soon and it will once again play a big role in town as work is completed.
- Colin readily admits that he was a big political influence in his teenage years.
- Jazz has been a big influence on your life yet it is usually perceived as being music for the middle-classes.
- Because of the greater variability in the consumers, research plays a big role.
- The element plays a big role, but you don't usually have much control over that.
- I have to say that John Lennon was a really big influence, I think a lot of people found inspiration in his music.
- My father was a footballer, having played for Shelbourne and Bohemians, and was a big influence on me.
- Over a short period, changes in gut fill can have a big influence on the recorded liveweight gain.
- The monsoon has played a big role in reducing the passage time to the country.
- Anyone with kids knows what a big influence the culture is on our kids and our future.
- We go over each game together and of course Wayne has been a big influence.
- He was a big influence during his time at the Crown Ground and it's thanks to him in many ways that we've got where we are today.
- Of course, he is too good a player and too big an influence not to be missed.
- Michael, a young American poet, was a big influence on me at that time.
Synonyms powerful, important, prominent, influential, high-powered, leading, pre-eminent, of high standing, outstanding, well known, eminent, distinguished, principal, foremost, noteworthy, notable, noted North American major-league
3ironic, informal predicative Generous. ‘I'm inclined to take pity on you.’ ‘That's big of you!’ Example sentencesExamples - That was very big of you to admit your faults.
- Regardless, I thought that was big of him to take the responsibility.
- That's very big of him considering the full extent of what he learned a short time later.
- I also think that it is very "big" of you to be calm and take care of the situations and even laugh about them later.
- That was mighty big of him, and he made sure I realized it.
- I think it was very, very big of him to come after being asked to step down.
- That hes allowed this sensitive information to be included in an episode of his own show is very big of him, ironically.
- Alex, that's very big of you to admit you were wrong.
- It was big of you to come out and say that you actually saw a Sunday matinee when it was still in theaters.
- I appreciate that and that was big of you to come in here and apologize" Michelle said as Maryse nodded and headed out with a smirk.
Synonyms generous, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, caring, compassionate, loving, benevolent, magnanimous, unselfish, altruistic, selfless, philanthropic
verbbigging, bigs, bigged bɪɡbɪɡ [with object]big something upBritish informal Praise or recommend something highly. the record's been on the streets a while now, but it's still worth bigging up Example sentencesExamples - It is either time to big it up or to say good night.
- I don't want to big it up too much, as then the whole experience might fail to meet my expectations.
- United bigged him up on tour and then dropped him like a stone on his return to Manchester.
- There are posters all over the place bigging it up, but it is so nondescript from the outside that it's easy to mistake for a regular hedge.
Synonyms ennoble, exalt, elevate, lift up, add dignity to, dignify, add lustre to, add distinction to, enhance, increase, augment, promote, boost
nounPlural bigs bɪɡbɪɡ the bigsNorth American informal The major league in a professional sport. the day he made it to the bigs, he forgot every minor league ballpark he ever played in Example sentencesExamples - Besides that, he came up to the bigs as a catcher but turned himself into an All-Star second baseman because he thought he would be more valuable to his team in that position.
- He never made it to the bigs, but he knew his craft.
- His last appearance in the bigs is one for the annals; in 1912, when he was 48 years old, he was part of a one-game makeshift team fielded by the Detroit Tigers.
- Two years later, he made his major-league debut with the Chicago White Sox, and the next season, he was in the bigs to stay.
- He got his first taste of the bigs in 1995, but he didn't stick until '98.
- In 1974, the 31-year old John underwent an elbow reconstruction procedure which was so successful that it allowed him to pitch another 14 years in the bigs - and at a higher level than before.
- He hopes his affordability will help him make it back to the bigs.
- At the start of his third season in the bigs, he was going through a divorce, but he didn't think it affected his game.
- Opening day for his league is April 5-about the same as the bigs - and after our previous drill session, a few days earlier, I knew we had a problem.
- There have been 36 ballplayers with the first name Jay to have played in the bigs, and most of them have done so in my lifetime - an exciting demographic trend to someone who never met another person with the same name until after college.
- Unlike other parts of the Caribbean, where seeing the hometown boys in the bigs is a source of pride, the Mexican baseball powers have decided to keep the product local.
- After an apprenticeship in the minors, a few umpires are picked to jump to the bigs.
- He stole 31 bases and hit 19 triples in the minors over 2,718 at bats; but just 4 SBs and 6 3Bs in 1718 ABs in the bigs.
- But he fell victim to a kidney disease and his health deteriorated; he won only 14 more games in the bigs after that five year stretch.
- His first exposure to the bigs was with the Pilgrims.
- If all goes well, I think it is possible that he could get a shot in the bigs sometime next year.
- But even among these successful major leaguers, their first couple of months in the bigs were a struggle, with average performances more than 20 percent below their eventual career norms.
- What are the most important metrics you use in evaluating whether a minor leaguer can be successful in the bigs?
- But as the first minor-leaguer I followed to make good in the bigs, he holds a special distinction in my eyes.
- For the optimistic fan, it's a reminder of just how difficult professional baseball is, and a chance to see minor league players learning to do the things that will get them to the bigs.
Phrases archaic In a late stage of pregnancy. Example sentencesExamples - After some months, the weary young girl, now big with child, came to the city of Torre-Longa.
- She was quite big with child, and looked to be confined every hour.
- My wife, big with child, was sitting in the rocking chair a few feet from me, and I was sitting by the table.
- If anything happens to the woman I shall impute it to him, for she was big with child.
- The woman was very big with child and rode on a donkey, and her husband went from door to door seeking shelter for his wife, but he was told at every inn that there was no vacancy.
Synonyms expecting a baby, having a baby, with a baby on the way, having a child, expectant, carrying a child
informal The New York Stock Exchange.
A name given by hunters to the five largest and most dangerous African mammals: rhinoceros, elephant, buffalo, lion, and leopard. Example sentencesExamples - You are guaranteed to tick off the full roster of the big five lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino and elephant.
- Another good option is to fly to the Maasai Mara, Kenya's top wildlife sanctuary and home to the big five - elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo.
- Most people on safari are after the big five - lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino.
- The economics of shooting with the big five of Africa - the elephants, the giraffes, the rhino, the zebra and the buffaloes should be attractive, he said.
- Hundreds of thousands from all over the world flock here year round for a glimpse of the big five: elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino and lion.
ironic A clever or important intention or scheme. the government's big idea was to make public services competitive Example sentencesExamples - If ever there was a big idea translated into policy by a president that was it.
- Its pastel-colour palette and cutout design was impressive because it managed to turn a relatively small space into a big idea.
- No doubt the plans for a regional parliament another bureaucratic big idea will bring even more burden to the over-stretched taxpayer.
- His big idea, the one that will stay with me, is this: never trust a politician - or a political system - that you cannot get rid of.
- The big idea here is to pay attention when watching.
- And what's the big idea of having a curfew at the hostel, locking the doors at midnight?
- So a change in format will be the big idea that turns things around?
- A successful government has to convert the country to its own big idea.
- The Party can then look forward to another term on the opposition benches, waiting, no doubt, for the next big idea.
- Forget the music, it is the journey that's the big idea.
A gross distortion or misrepresentation of the facts, especially when used as a propaganda device by a politician or official body. Example sentencesExamples - The politician knows these facts but also knows his big lie will probably endure.
- We'll remain cautiously optimistic that this isn't a pre-election strategy or an exercise in optics; that it isn't another big lie.
- I believe that these charges are going to prove to be the ultimate big lie.
- ‘Climate change’; it sounds innocuous, but for some scientists it spells doom, to others it represents a big lie.
- The party has mastered the art of telling half truths and the big lie.
- Told with sincerity to a people anxious for reassurance, deriving from some source beyond and greater than its speaker, the big lie is so outrageously improbable that no one could possibly make it up.
- But there are still some observers pointing out the big lie.
- Some members of the administration may be in the process of discovering that, given time, the big lie turns on itself.
- What the candidate has done here is told the big lie about embryonic stem cells.
- The leader has ‘bottomless wells of sincerity’, some commentators have said, that he draws on wonderfully when he tells his next big lie.
informal Large amounts of money. Emily earns big bucks on Wall Street Example sentencesExamples - Companies pay big money to make sure that their product gets in front of the right people and makes them want to buy.
- He says he will release big money for book serialisations and buy-ups.
- If the price moves in the investor's favour, big money can be made from a relatively small stake, but huge sums can also be lost.
- We've not gone into the transfer market and spent big money but we've got some quality players.
- With business and sport now irretrievably entwined, there's big money in medals.
- He showed us how to use big money, and now big money has become the rule of the day.
- Doesn't that sort of fly in the face of this argument that big money corrupts the system?
- We were never like big, big money, but we made a lot of money and we also spent a lot on things like travelling musicians and dancers.
- How did it become a big money sport, and how have you turned it into such a great business?
- For some, this was a sign that money, big money, could be made by making a movie of the story.
Synonyms fortune, considerable sum of money, large sum of money, vast sum of money, millions, billions
Example sentencesExamples - I suggest you see it when it hits the cinema, as films like this are designed for the big screen.
- If you can imagine your idea on the big screen then its probably going to make a good film.
- Should this reach the big screen it would be interesting to see what the final product looks like and how the film is rated.
- This was my first real scary movie on a big screen and I expected it to scare my soul away.
- It is an epic that is perfect for the big screen and is well worth a trip to the cinema.
- However, the inclusion of a few scenes here and there is not why you have to see this film on the big screen.
- All I can say is that a lot of people missed an opportunity to see a great piece of cinema on the big screen.
- I'm not sure it ever got a wide distribution, which is a shame because it really deserved to be seen on a big screen.
- My only regret is that I didn't see it on the big screen when I had the chance.
- While the story sounds simple and interesting when told, on the big screen it is a different matter.
informal An important or influential person. Example sentencesExamples - The ultimate top of the hierarchy is occupied by the big shots.
- A brief scan of today's TV reveals that a good percentage of the material centres around big shots ' extra-marital affairs.
- Much of it deals with the ridiculous effect money has on people, and how they spend away to feel like big shots one minute, then go nuts trying to save pennies the next.
- Often, the talk his editors wanted was from big shots, businessmen promoting themselves or wallowing in rancor.
- It was a supposedly staid gathering of local party big shots, including the deputy governor, a senator and the state attorney general.
- I was a big shot in the fashion industry; I felt very important.
- And the author found half a dozen business big shots who made the same claim.
- Whenever I'm on this program, you and your staff really make us look like big shots and I truly appreciate all the attention and the effort.
- People think I think I'm a big shot, but I've always tried to inspire them.
- This was the poshest colony in the town, and all the inhabitants of the area were sons or grandsons, or great grandsons of big shots.
informal The use or threat of force or power. the authorities used quiet persuasion instead of the big stick Example sentencesExamples - Does he use a big stick or does he have extraordinary powers of motivation?
- But the soft-speaking only works if the other side understands that there is a willingness to use the big stick.
- He said: ‘This is another attempt to be seen to be using a big stick when what we need is to properly resource social work departments.’
- It is now panicking and waving the big stick of the threat to cap, which is something it said it would not do.
- ‘The way forward is to not to get a big stick but to say that equal opportunities makes good business sense,’ she said.
- They take the big stick out whenever there's a problem.
- I've been beaten around with a big stick by the media in England.
- Bad people need the big stick, not counselling.
- They don't need a big stick or a royal warning to force them - they know it makes good business sense.
- To be tough on sick absence you need to tackle the root causes rather than adopting a crude big stick approach.
the Big Three (or Four etc.) informal The three, four, etc., most important or powerful figures in a particular field. increased competition between the Big Three cider-makers Example sentencesExamples - Each player was given a separate amount of chips before the game and the four members of the Big Four were ready to play.
- The Big Three, however, saw an emerging opportunity as boomers began buying second homes.
- However, the team's defense has grown in the shadows of the Big Three.
- In about an hour, the Big Three east coast newspapers should e-publish tomorrow's editions.
- When that happened, many insiders started questioning the whole premise of the Big Three.
- The exhibition began with the famous photograph of the Big Three - Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.
- We are everywhere advised that suddenly there has been ordained a Big Four in golf, and these designees will lead the field in the Masters this week.
- But the projections still don't look good, and already one of the Big Three has hit the rocks.
- The survey indicated that cost is more important to the Big Three than its foreign competitors.
- With the squad due to leave on their Far East tour tomorrow morning, it is important that the Big Three's destiny is decided rapidly.
informal Have a great effect; be a success. the story went over big with the children Example sentencesExamples - It went over big with the crowd, and if you voted for the opposition, you probably found it amusing.
- The loss of the player to the Raiders didn't go over big with his former teammates.
- It is, rather, sentimental, and sentimentality always goes over big in the commercial theater, so long as it's disguised as realism.
- Juggling also goes over big - especially with fire.
- These days you only have to give the audience a hint that their collective hands should beat out a rhythm, in order to reassure those on stage that they are going over big.
- He began by saying he hadn't come to relive the 2000 election - and then spent half his speech doing just that, which of course went over big with the crowd.
- These ideas obviously went over big with our gift testers.
- I realize this will probably not go over big with a lot of CIOs - my saying they're hiding behind their technology.
- I bet the massage thing would go over big, too - it's a very physical job, and aches and pains are par for the course.
- Figure out the answer to that and you are well on your way to finding gifts that will go over big.
Example sentencesExamples - That said, its inadvisable to give him the big E just because he used his fish knife to butter his bread.
- Do you have any tips or tricks on how to give her the big E?
- Is it now the time for the team to be given the BIG E?
- The end result is that people like me - people who are reliable, people he can trust - get given the big E.
- Your shocked reaction may have served to confirm her anxiety that she's more likely to be given the big E once a guy finds out she's a mother.
Synonyms rebuff, spurn, repudiate, cut off, cast off, cast aside, discard, jettison, abandon, desert, turn one's back on, have nothing to do with, have nothing more to do with, wash one's hands of, cast out, shut out, exclude, shun, cold-shoulder, give someone the cold shoulder
informal To a great extent or high degree. he contributed to the film in a big way Example sentencesExamples - The Internet's traditional advantages come to play in a big way to make it an effective way to meet people.
- People, especially those in the bigger cities, are investing in a big way in mutual funds.
- It is a wonderful example of how Canadian films are breaking into new territory in a big way.
- If the project takes off in a big way, the potential for a more realistic movie experience may not be very far off.
- We are told that corporates have taken to such dance lessons in a big way.
- That which was not necessarily noticed in a big way would suddenly become the focus of everybody's attention.
- Apologies for last week, but lethargy and apathy set in in a big way.
- Of course, their cause was aided in a big way by one of the biggest corporations around.
- The spiralling unemployment rate has resulted in the frustrated youth taking to crime in a big way.
- That affected me in a big way - I think I'm only now beginning to come to terms with it.
informal Become very successful or famous. Example sentencesExamples - I spent a few years playing in a garage band and the biggest failure there was we never really tried to make it big.
- A year earlier he had taken the Premiership by storm - scoring eight goals in 34 starts - a talented teenager making it big in a man's world.
- Most people think of success as making it big in power and money.
- ‘Many successful entrepreneurs suffered failures before they made it big,’ he notes.
- They have no dream of making it big in racing - they just want to get behind the wheel.
- Since he was a child Matthew dreamed of making it big, of being a player in a country where more than half of the national wealth is controlled by a handful of families.
- For every successful cartoonist who makes it big, there are thousands of other equally talented artists that go completely unrecognized.
- After a series of setbacks during the past 12 months, the industry now feels rejuvenated with family themes making it big at the box-office.
- You want to talk about someone who's making it big?
- Every band dreams of making it big but we were just happy having fun really.
informal Talk boastfully or overconfidently. Henry was new to the job but he was already talking big Example sentencesExamples - A couple of my co-workers have met the challenge, and a couple of them have failed miserably, although they talked big about it afterwards.
- Rogers and all of the others who talked big back at the beach began to change when we got to the replacement area in Belgium.
- As for the minister, this won't be the first time he has talked big but achieved much less.
- My dad was the type who talked big about getting a new car, but rarely acted.
- Toad talked big about all he was going to do in the days to come, while stars grew fuller and larger all around them, and a yellow moon, appearing suddenly and silently from nowhere in particular, came to keep them company and listen to their talk.
- His detractors on both left and right, however, say he talked big but accomplished little.
- If, however, he doesn't stand firm, he will be ridiculed as someone who talked big and couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen.
- The retail company talked big but delivered little for consumers.
- Behind the green baize bravado was quite evidently a character who talked big when the chips were up, but folded when it came to real life.
- She is not a person who talks big; she is just studiously working away.
Synonyms brag, boast, crow, bluster, exaggerate
Example sentencesExamples - ‘I went in thinking big and the idea got pared down a bit,’ she says.
- It thinks big, has a vision of the future and measures each step it will take.
- Under his chairmanship, the club thought big and aimed high - then ultimately fell hard when the dreams failed to come true and the lavish spending off the pitch failed to translate into success on it.
- I have always thought big and it seems to have paid off.
- Donald learned the business from his father, but with a twist: He thought big, very BIG.
- The logo is the mark of a bank thinking big and growing into an ambitious and resplendent entity.
- His energy was unflagging, he thought big and bold.
- It has a wonderful under-age structure and everybody involved in the club thinks big about all issues, always wanting to improve.
- This gives them a double chance, and must give them the incentive to think big.
- In business terms and culturally we are very similar: a small people thinking big, and I urge any ambitious company to go for it.
Example sentencesExamples - Basically, they think you're too big for your boots and want you cut down to size.
- If you've got wealth, privilege or exalted connections crowned with success, then in this country you are judged way too big for your boots and in need of an urgent reality check.
- ‘He told me never to be too big for your boots and always be friendly to everyone,’ she said.
- After his eldest boy's graduation ceremony he said: ‘Don't get too big for your boots, son.’
- I don't know how I'm going to get paid, but I'd rather go out into the brave new world than live with dinosaurs that are far too big for their boots.
- He's been getting far too big for his boots recently.
- There are plenty of applicants to fill the space left by a boy band who got too big for their boots.
- She has no airs and graces and will put you in check if she thinks you're being too big for your boots - she's done it to me before.
- I think that room is appearing again for the little man and people want to say to the big guys that they're getting too big for their boots.
- They long ago became just too big for their boots.
Synonyms conceited, full of oneself, cocky, boastful, arrogant, cocksure, above oneself, self-important, immodest, swaggering, strutting
Derivatives adjective I have some biggish plans for an upgrade in the very near future, so keep checking back. Example sentencesExamples - Sally suggests putting together a pair of straight trousers with a biggish top and a belt slung around loosely.
- For an asking price of £700,000, you get a biggish three- or four- bedroom house with a large living/dining area.
- So I looked again and, sure enough, in sheltered water behind a biggish rock there were two creatures.
- This is a biggish step up for him but he has the class.
noun ˈbɪɡnəsˈbɪɡnəs This bigness of heart, this largesse of the soul, is a characteristic of hers that has been remarked on frequently, though in all honesty I must say I have never experienced it firsthand. Example sentencesExamples - ‘When you see the bigness of a show like that and the impact it makes, you can't help but want to do something like that,’ John said.
- By coming together in groups of 10, 30, or 300, small companies are gaining the benefits of bigness.
- Running about three hours and structured over a broad first act and a swifter second, the opera revels in its bigness.
- Truly, it is that bigness that we all should be seeking.
Origin Middle English (in the sense 'strong, mighty'): of unknown origin. Like many small words, big appeared from nowhere. It is first recorded in the early Middle Ages meaning ‘strong, powerful’, and clear examples referring just to size do not emerge until the 16th century. The sense ‘elder’ as in big brother or big sister is first found in the 19th century. In George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-four the head of state is called Big Brother, and ‘Big Brother is watching you’ is the caption on posters showing his face. The novel was published in 1949, and very quickly people started using Big Brother to refer to any person or organization exercising total control over people's lives. Various other phrases involving big refer to an important or influential person, such as big cheese, which first came into use in American slang during the early 1900s. It almost certainly has no connection with food—the word cheese here probably comes from Urdu and Persian cīz, which just means ‘thing’.
Rhymes brig, dig, fig, gig, grig, jig, lig, pig, prig, rig, snig, sprig, swig, tig, trig, twig, Whig, wig Definition of big in US English: bigadjectivebɪɡbiɡ 1Of considerable size, extent, or intensity. Example sentencesExamples - Within a few minutes the men cut down two big branches from the tree.
- Watching the top downhillers, you are struck by their size: they tend to be big, muscular and solid.
- The club has also provided uniforms for staff and held a big party for the children to celebrate the announcement of the grant.
- Using a biscuit or scone cutter, cut out rounds as big or as little as you like.
- He's been politically committed and has taken big cuts in his salary to make these kinds of films.
- Police are hunting the thieves, who cut a big hole in the fence to get to the aluminium.
- They cut the big organic pasture next door yesterday, carting the hay away to be dried safely elsewhere.
- All the tests have proved negative but the sample size is not big enough to draw any firm conclusions.
- His game looked very pretty but he was a tall, spindly youth who simply could not cut it with the big, tough lads in his age group.
- A big cut in the dividend is inevitable, further undermining the case for holding the shares.
- Soon, Casper began cutting the material with big scissors, and pinning them on Freya.
- If your lawn is too big to cut without a rider, set aside a portion of your lawn for a push mower.
- The first cave is down by the grass, a big outcrop of rock cut below to an arched tunnel with a chimney through the top.
- We kept going as we knew we were close to the finish but we cut a big corner towards the finish and broke the windscreen.
- He said, you'll have to take a big cut in salary and you'll have to start at the bottom.
- I had to present Michael with a great big sabre to cut the cake - we had a real laugh with it.
- We are a very small organisation and we are not staffed up to handle big surges in communication.
- The brand is a well made children's line, which is cut on the big size for plenty of wear.
- A big cut back in the number of council vans which we see all over the town would save a large amount of money.
- Replacing council tax with a fair local tax would mean big tax cuts for ordinary families.
Synonyms large, sizeable, of considerable size, substantial, considerable, great, huge, immense, enormous, extensive, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, prodigious, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monumental, mighty, stupendous, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic, epic, mountainous, megalithic, monstrous, brobdingnagian well built, sturdily built, heavily built, sturdy, brawny, burly, broad-shouldered, muscular, muscly, well muscled, robust, rugged, lusty, herculean, bulky, strapping, thickset, stocky, solid, hefty, meaty - 1.1attributive Of a large or the largest size.
Example sentencesExamples - The jury found him not guilty of one charge of grievous bodily harm - a fractured big toe on the child's left foot.
- The big toe is the classic place to find it, but it can affect other areas too.
- They were unable to save his left leg but used the big toe to replace his right thumb.
- Raise yourself onto the balls of both feet, pushing down onto your big toes.
- Yesterday's blister got a little worse and grew to the big toe region.
- Because he had lain so long in the open he needed surgery on his right foot for frostbite and his big toe had to be amputated.
- She remembered that she could just wriggle her right big toe and hoped that someone would notice.
- A bunion is an abnormal, bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe.
- It can affect anywhere but usually attacks the big toes or feet and ankles.
- Again there is a difference between big and little toes as far as further treatment is concerned.
- I stick plasters on three toes to prevent blisters, and a gel cushion on my big toes to protect my toenails.
- He had distinctive brown eyebrows, wore dentures and was missing the big toe on his right foot.
- Because I love to walk around the house barefoot I had a crust of hard skin on my heels and along the side of my big toe.
- There can also be a characteristic thickening of the skin over the lower legs and on the tops of the feet or big toes.
- The house was owned by a great big giant, and a lively little pixie.
- Attacks often happen at night and in 70 per cent of cases the first area to be affected is the joint of the big toe.
- It's actually quite relaxing, except for when she presses on an area near the big toe of my left foot which is total agony.
- But last month he began a new treatment for an ulcer on his big toe which has failed to heal for five years.
- I try to keep my legs together, keep tension on my big toes and almost tilt my feet in.
- It was around this time that Tim developed frostbite on his big toe.
- 1.2 Grown up.
Example sentencesExamples - Mama scolded me for crying, because I was a big girl, not a baby to cry like little Hope.
- When I'm big, I'll be a policeman.
- So, I told her that she is a big girl, that she has a phone number and if she wants to organise a party she can do it herself.
- If she gets in the way, it's unfortunate, but she's a big girl, she knows the score.
- She warned him again, "Jason, remember that mommy thinks you're a big boy now."
- She knew Mommy was busy, so she decided to be a big girl and take a bath all by herself.
- Anyway, she wanted to be a big girl and to prove her parents how independent she could be.
- The big girls and boys, who were already five, were allowed to bring me up and show it to me.
- "You're a big boy. I'm going to make you a very big boy's present," she told him. "Big boys drive fire engines."
- When Im big, Ill be a chiropractor, too, he told that man, who he would encounter again during his first year of studies.
- I should be surprised if he were not big enough and mature enough to handle it.
- Now quit crying and be a big boy. Theres nothing to be afraid of.
- I can say this because Anvar is a big girl now and a very successful journalist.
- Anastasia just smiled, loving the fact that she was being called a big girl and a baby at the same time.
- The school didn't have a uniform and like a big girl I spent forever trying to figure out what to wear.
- Prepping her for this, we talked to her encouraging her that when she turned 3 she would be a big girl and would sleep in her big girl bed.
Synonyms grown-up, adult, mature, grown, full grown - 1.3 Elder.
Example sentencesExamples - She is going to be a nurse like her big sister, Margaret, who is nursing locally.
- He continued to read the newspaper and I continued to worry about my big sister.
- Then our big sisters said it was time to go and see Santa when I was still throwing snowballs.
- My big brother and I were running toward the riverbank.
- She had lots of friends, but she clung on to her big sister Samantha, who she idolised.
- Little sisters are doing it for themselves, with a helping hand from their big sisters.
- Next to him sat my big sister and my mom, both staring at me, waiting for my reaction.
- So there you go, my big sister, at the age of 37 has finally found someone she wants to settle down with.
- If he can cast my big sister out, he wouldn't think twice about casting me out.
- Our dad nodded again and left the room as quickly as he had entered, leaving me alone with my big sister again.
- She used to work for me and was very good at taking care of me like a big sister.
- Not only that but I also know that as his big sister he does respect my opinions on some level so he gets quite hurt.
- Since your big sister is away, this could be a good time for you and your mom to get closer.
- Every day, we would nag my big sister Nadia to find out when our mother was going to come and fetch us.
- Jamie hopes to reach dizzy heights just like big sister Amanda.
- The only bad thing was that he couldn't share his happiness with anyone but his big sister.
- With her big sister, Stephanie, who is also an accomplished violinist, she grew up in the region.
- Like my big sister, I've a gift of time, but no idea what to do with it.
- The little boy frowned and then he seemed to notice that his big sister was not alone in her room.
- Still and silent, he didn't look like my big brother, who was always there to protect me.
Synonyms older, senior, first, firstborn, more grown up - 1.4informal On an ambitiously large scale.
a small company with big plans Example sentencesExamples - Its ambition was to create big films that could make an impact on the US market.
- But we are certainly not going to be giving up big assets which we have really big plans for.
- "We have big plans for nuclear energy," he said at a joint briefing.
- For once, they are the big spenders, with the big ambitions and better players.
- While the project has barely begun, Thomas already has big plans for the course.
- Although his dad has big ambitions for him, financial constraints are a problem.
- He knows he is joining a big club with big ambitions and those ambitions match his own.
- I hope they don't have any big plans to try and make me into a pop star or something.
- It is apparent that this young girl has big dreams and she is doing whatever she can to make them reality.
- If you were planning a big spend, particularly for household assets, go for it now.
- Now these small islands are at the centre of a big plan to bring bring back luxury tourism.
- Since then the pair have been inseparable and were looking forward to their big day, planned for this July.
- How might a small software company with big ambitions draw vast amounts of free advertising press coverage?
- But Debbie may not have much spare time for long because she has big plans for the future.
- But his big long term plan is to switch to a pay per mile system of distance charging.
- These are complemented by a mix of bars and lounges where entertainment comes on a big scale or in intimate surroundings.
- It is a black and white film about a teenaged girl with big dreams of becoming an actress.
- The children helped plan the big occasion and chose who the happy couple were to be.
- She had big travelling plans happening in less than a month and assumed she wouldn't see him again.
- Plans for the big day have been plagued by problems ever since it was announced two weeks ago.
Synonyms ambitious, far-reaching, on a grand scale - 1.5informal attributive Doing a specified action very often or on a very large scale.
Example sentencesExamples - This character was very Keith, since he was almost as big of an eater as Munch was.
- Im not a big sleeper, he declares, adding that his work on the show isnt hard just time-consuming."
- Mickelson may be a big gambler, but all too often when the pressure is at its most intense he has left himself a busted flush.
- We're not big bean eaters in my household so doubtless I'll have plenty of spare to offer around at work.
- I'm not really a big eater of pies.
- I'm not a big player of these types of games but thought I'd give this one a go.
- 'My father is a big eater and my mother a good cook'.
- Though she was not a big eater herself, she enjoyed making other people happy with her meals.
- I've always been a big player of games. Ever since I can remember the holidays would involve me playing a lot of Monopoly, Cluedo or some other board game.
- I'm not anti-gambling, but I'm also not a big gambler myself other than an occasional football pool.
- 1.6informal Showing great enthusiasm.
he tells me the Inuits of the Arctic are very big on Jim Reeves Example sentencesExamples - Japanese cookery is big on freshness, using produce in season and sourced locally, where possible.
- I have always been a big fan of stories about different background and cultures to my collection.
- Even if you're not a big football fan, last night's Champions League final was a cracker.
- My father had always been big on sports and had always wanted me to play sports as a kid.
- I've never gone big on the fame thing, because that means a whole lot more.
- I'm a big fan of yours, Neil, and have been for a long, long while, but something lately has been bothering me.
- The activities I liked best were arts and crafts, which my Mum is very big on.
- When he was just a tiny two-year-old it was clear Nicolas Haworth had what it takes to be a big hit in the tennis world.
- He'd always been big on sports, mainly soccer and ice hockey, and it was evident.
- So when it all works and you come out of it with the Ashes it is pretty much compulsory to go big on the champagne afterwards.
- As tourist must-sees go, this part of Brittany isn't big on manufactured attractions.
- That's an honorable but perhaps ironic stance for a company which is big on its own inventiveness.
- She is a keen photographer, is a big fan of basketball and is passionate about deep sea diving.
- I can't pretend to be a big fan, but I liked him very much in that series with Zoe Wannamaker, Love Hurts.
- Specifically he was probably rebelling against our parents, who were very big on doing everything right.
- The affable star is big on eye contact, and smiles easily and often.
- Neither of us was really big on shopping, so we wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.
- While I'm not a big fan of graphic novels, I realize they can be a powerful medium for personal expression.
- The corporate market is not big on emotional responses to technology though.
- He wasn't big on compliments, however when he did give them it was clear he meant them with all his heart.
- 1.7big witharchaic Advanced in pregnancy.
my wife was big with child figurative a word big with fate Example sentencesExamples - She was quite big with child, and looked to be confined every hour.
- Adam longed to be in Christopher's position: looking at his wife's pretty face as he caressed her pregnant belly, getting big with his baby.
- Somehow, she would have to get the medicine, otherwise, who would employ her when she was big with child?
- "Well, well, I was the first one to say that Marcelina was big with child, wasn't I? But of course no one would believe me."
- So, as the tale tells, the queen soon knew that she was big with child.
2Of considerable importance or seriousness. Mark's biggest problem is money Example sentencesExamples - She got it wrong on the restart, a little mistake but big consequences for everybody else.
- And do discuss it fully with your family before going ahead, as it is a very big decision.
- Ministers undoubtedly made big mistakes in the handling of the crisis.
- That was my big mistake and I paid the price for ignoring similar advice.
- Some of the things you do are common sense, but you could make a big mistake if you didn't know what you were doing.
- Oblivious to the signs and portents that he's making a very big mistake, he takes the job.
- With the easy wisdom of perfect hindsight, the big mistake is obvious.
- I'm very aware of what a big decision it is, but it's not the right time.
- This was a big mistake and he always regretted the decision to give the plane to the museum.
- Calling for strike action, even now they have called off the first four planned days of action, may turn out to be a big mistake.
- It was a big mistake, but the things I learned from it made it a big mistake rather than a big failure.
- What would life be like without all the anxieties and pitfalls of big decisions?
- Let us hope for a speedy solution to our transfer dealings and one where the big decisions made are for the good of the club on the pitch.
- They thought their jobs were secure enough to make the big decision to buy a house.
- He doesn't wield any real power as long as the committee gets to make the big decisions.
- Anyone who runs a business but doesn't have a clear idea of how they will sell it or float it is making a big mistake.
- The touchstone of a great captain and team management is the ability to make big decisions.
- It was a big decision to donate my kidney, but it wasn't a problem in the end.
- A teenager who says a support group saved her from a life of crime has warned it would be a big mistake to let it close.
- Elections are not about issues, but for choosing which people we trust to make the big decisions on our behalf.
Synonyms important, significant, major, of great import, of significance, momentous, of moment, weighty, consequential, of consequence, far-reaching, key, vital, critical, crucial, life-and-death, high-priority, serious, grave, solemn - 2.1informal Popular or exciting interest among the public.
Latino bands that are big in Los Angeles Example sentencesExamples - The organising committee thank all who helped make the night such a big success for a very worthy cause.
- The songs you listed are recent and still big over here.
- We tried scrumming but other than being funny, it wasn't a big success.
- American Football isn't big over here at all. It's a shame because any games I've seen have usually been pretty good.
- The sport is so big over here, the grandstands were packed with people cheering and celebrating.
- He's big in Norway because he won two Olympic medals for that country and was knighted several years ago.
- Badminton is big over here. I love virtually all racket based sports, and am hoping I can get my mom to play when she comes over.
- The Christmas draw on the same night was also a big success with a big demand for tickets right up to the time for the draw.
- She's not as big over here as some would have you believe, but she's still pretty successful.
- All the sideshows and games attracted a lot of support and the bonny baby competition was a big success too.
- He is so big over here in Europe, I'm not sure the Americans realise just how big.
- A very big thank you to all those who participated and helped out in any way to make this event a big success.
- This is her first book in English--she's BIG in Japan.
- When someone has had a big success it doesn't make much in the news.
- It's easier to be big in America if you're already big in Britain.
- There is a reason that so few bands from Ireland make it internationally when they are so big over here.
- "No other English footballer has ever really made it big over here," he said. "I'd love to be well-known in America."
- This draw was a big success for both the club and the county board last year.
- The festival has been a big success this year with the children's events extremely popular.
- Yellow school buses are big in America. Now a company in Newport is trying to make them big over here too.
Synonyms popular, successful, commercially successful, in demand, sought-after, all the rage - 2.2informal Holding an important position or playing an influential role.
as a senior in college, he was a big man on campus Example sentencesExamples - Michael, a young American poet, was a big influence on me at that time.
- Certainly Davis has been a big influence on it, for his philosophy as much as for those jazz influences.
- Jazz has been a big influence on your life yet it is usually perceived as being music for the middle-classes.
- And of course our family relationships are likely to play a big role in shaping ourselves.
- He was a big influence during his time at the Crown Ground and it's thanks to him in many ways that we've got where we are today.
- Big plans are now in the pipeline to open it up again soon and it will once again play a big role in town as work is completed.
- Anyone with kids knows what a big influence the culture is on our kids and our future.
- My father was a footballer, having played for Shelbourne and Bohemians, and was a big influence on me.
- The monsoon has played a big role in reducing the passage time to the country.
- Colin readily admits that he was a big political influence in his teenage years.
- He was quick to point out that nurture plays a big role, not just our genes.
- Growing up in the environment he did played a very big part in influencing his direction.
- This in turn will have a very big influence on the prospects for partnership in the future.
- The element plays a big role, but you don't usually have much control over that.
- I have to say that John Lennon was a really big influence, I think a lot of people found inspiration in his music.
- Over a short period, changes in gut fill can have a big influence on the recorded liveweight gain.
- Because of the greater variability in the consumers, research plays a big role.
- Of course, he is too good a player and too big an influence not to be missed.
- We go over each game together and of course Wayne has been a big influence.
- His father, he realises now, was a big influence on him becoming a comic.
Synonyms powerful, important, prominent, influential, high-powered, leading, pre-eminent, of high standing, outstanding, well known, eminent, distinguished, principal, foremost, noteworthy, notable, noted
3ironic, informal predicative Generous. “I'm inclined to take pity on you.” “That's big of you!” Example sentencesExamples - Regardless, I thought that was big of him to take the responsibility.
- That was mighty big of him, and he made sure I realized it.
- Alex, that's very big of you to admit you were wrong.
- It was big of you to come out and say that you actually saw a Sunday matinee when it was still in theaters.
- I also think that it is very "big" of you to be calm and take care of the situations and even laugh about them later.
- I think it was very, very big of him to come after being asked to step down.
- That was very big of you to admit your faults.
- I appreciate that and that was big of you to come in here and apologize" Michelle said as Maryse nodded and headed out with a smirk.
- That's very big of him considering the full extent of what he learned a short time later.
- That hes allowed this sensitive information to be included in an episode of his own show is very big of him, ironically.
Synonyms generous, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, caring, compassionate, loving, benevolent, magnanimous, unselfish, altruistic, selfless, philanthropic
verbbɪɡbiɡ [with object]big something upBritish informal Praise or recommend something highly. the record's been on the streets a while now, but it's still worth bigging up Example sentencesExamples - It is either time to big it up or to say good night.
- There are posters all over the place bigging it up, but it is so nondescript from the outside that it's easy to mistake for a regular hedge.
- United bigged him up on tour and then dropped him like a stone on his return to Manchester.
- I don't want to big it up too much, as then the whole experience might fail to meet my expectations.
Synonyms ennoble, exalt, elevate, lift up, add dignity to, dignify, add lustre to, add distinction to, enhance, increase, augment, promote, boost
nounbɪɡbiɡ the bigsNorth American informal The major league in a professional sport. the day he made it to the bigs, he forgot every minor league ballpark he ever played in Example sentencesExamples - In 1974, the 31-year old John underwent an elbow reconstruction procedure which was so successful that it allowed him to pitch another 14 years in the bigs - and at a higher level than before.
- He never made it to the bigs, but he knew his craft.
- His last appearance in the bigs is one for the annals; in 1912, when he was 48 years old, he was part of a one-game makeshift team fielded by the Detroit Tigers.
- What are the most important metrics you use in evaluating whether a minor leaguer can be successful in the bigs?
- Two years later, he made his major-league debut with the Chicago White Sox, and the next season, he was in the bigs to stay.
- He hopes his affordability will help him make it back to the bigs.
- But even among these successful major leaguers, their first couple of months in the bigs were a struggle, with average performances more than 20 percent below their eventual career norms.
- But he fell victim to a kidney disease and his health deteriorated; he won only 14 more games in the bigs after that five year stretch.
- He stole 31 bases and hit 19 triples in the minors over 2,718 at bats; but just 4 SBs and 6 3Bs in 1718 ABs in the bigs.
- At the start of his third season in the bigs, he was going through a divorce, but he didn't think it affected his game.
- Opening day for his league is April 5-about the same as the bigs - and after our previous drill session, a few days earlier, I knew we had a problem.
- If all goes well, I think it is possible that he could get a shot in the bigs sometime next year.
- He got his first taste of the bigs in 1995, but he didn't stick until '98.
- His first exposure to the bigs was with the Pilgrims.
- For the optimistic fan, it's a reminder of just how difficult professional baseball is, and a chance to see minor league players learning to do the things that will get them to the bigs.
- Besides that, he came up to the bigs as a catcher but turned himself into an All-Star second baseman because he thought he would be more valuable to his team in that position.
- But as the first minor-leaguer I followed to make good in the bigs, he holds a special distinction in my eyes.
- Unlike other parts of the Caribbean, where seeing the hometown boys in the bigs is a source of pride, the Mexican baseball powers have decided to keep the product local.
- There have been 36 ballplayers with the first name Jay to have played in the bigs, and most of them have done so in my lifetime - an exciting demographic trend to someone who never met another person with the same name until after college.
- After an apprenticeship in the minors, a few umpires are picked to jump to the bigs.
Phrases Example sentencesExamples - The woman was very big with child and rode on a donkey, and her husband went from door to door seeking shelter for his wife, but he was told at every inn that there was no vacancy.
- If anything happens to the woman I shall impute it to him, for she was big with child.
- My wife, big with child, was sitting in the rocking chair a few feet from me, and I was sitting by the table.
- After some months, the weary young girl, now big with child, came to the city of Torre-Longa.
- She was quite big with child, and looked to be confined every hour.
Synonyms expecting a baby, having a baby, with a baby on the way, having a child, expectant, carrying a child
ironic A clever or important intention or scheme. okay, what's the big idea? Example sentencesExamples - A successful government has to convert the country to its own big idea.
- The Party can then look forward to another term on the opposition benches, waiting, no doubt, for the next big idea.
- So a change in format will be the big idea that turns things around?
- Forget the music, it is the journey that's the big idea.
- His big idea, the one that will stay with me, is this: never trust a politician - or a political system - that you cannot get rid of.
- Its pastel-colour palette and cutout design was impressive because it managed to turn a relatively small space into a big idea.
- If ever there was a big idea translated into policy by a president that was it.
- No doubt the plans for a regional parliament another bureaucratic big idea will bring even more burden to the over-stretched taxpayer.
- The big idea here is to pay attention when watching.
- And what's the big idea of having a curfew at the hostel, locking the doors at midnight?
A gross distortion or misrepresentation of the facts, especially when used as a propaganda device by a politician or official body. Example sentencesExamples - The politician knows these facts but also knows his big lie will probably endure.
- Some members of the administration may be in the process of discovering that, given time, the big lie turns on itself.
- Told with sincerity to a people anxious for reassurance, deriving from some source beyond and greater than its speaker, the big lie is so outrageously improbable that no one could possibly make it up.
- I believe that these charges are going to prove to be the ultimate big lie.
- The leader has ‘bottomless wells of sincerity’, some commentators have said, that he draws on wonderfully when he tells his next big lie.
- The party has mastered the art of telling half truths and the big lie.
- But there are still some observers pointing out the big lie.
- What the candidate has done here is told the big lie about embryonic stem cells.
- ‘Climate change’; it sounds innocuous, but for some scientists it spells doom, to others it represents a big lie.
- We'll remain cautiously optimistic that this isn't a pre-election strategy or an exercise in optics; that it isn't another big lie.
informal Large amounts of money. Emily earns big bucks on Wall Street Example sentencesExamples - We were never like big, big money, but we made a lot of money and we also spent a lot on things like travelling musicians and dancers.
- How did it become a big money sport, and how have you turned it into such a great business?
- We've not gone into the transfer market and spent big money but we've got some quality players.
- He showed us how to use big money, and now big money has become the rule of the day.
- He says he will release big money for book serialisations and buy-ups.
- If the price moves in the investor's favour, big money can be made from a relatively small stake, but huge sums can also be lost.
- With business and sport now irretrievably entwined, there's big money in medals.
- Doesn't that sort of fly in the face of this argument that big money corrupts the system?
- For some, this was a sign that money, big money, could be made by making a movie of the story.
- Companies pay big money to make sure that their product gets in front of the right people and makes them want to buy.
Synonyms fortune, considerable sum of money, large sum of money, vast sum of money, millions, billions
the play was adapted for the big screen Example sentencesExamples - This was my first real scary movie on a big screen and I expected it to scare my soul away.
- I'm not sure it ever got a wide distribution, which is a shame because it really deserved to be seen on a big screen.
- My only regret is that I didn't see it on the big screen when I had the chance.
- However, the inclusion of a few scenes here and there is not why you have to see this film on the big screen.
- Should this reach the big screen it would be interesting to see what the final product looks like and how the film is rated.
- All I can say is that a lot of people missed an opportunity to see a great piece of cinema on the big screen.
- I suggest you see it when it hits the cinema, as films like this are designed for the big screen.
- It is an epic that is perfect for the big screen and is well worth a trip to the cinema.
- While the story sounds simple and interesting when told, on the big screen it is a different matter.
- If you can imagine your idea on the big screen then its probably going to make a good film.
informal An important or influential person. Example sentencesExamples - People think I think I'm a big shot, but I've always tried to inspire them.
- Much of it deals with the ridiculous effect money has on people, and how they spend away to feel like big shots one minute, then go nuts trying to save pennies the next.
- Often, the talk his editors wanted was from big shots, businessmen promoting themselves or wallowing in rancor.
- I was a big shot in the fashion industry; I felt very important.
- A brief scan of today's TV reveals that a good percentage of the material centres around big shots ' extra-marital affairs.
- Whenever I'm on this program, you and your staff really make us look like big shots and I truly appreciate all the attention and the effort.
- It was a supposedly staid gathering of local party big shots, including the deputy governor, a senator and the state attorney general.
- And the author found half a dozen business big shots who made the same claim.
- This was the poshest colony in the town, and all the inhabitants of the area were sons or grandsons, or great grandsons of big shots.
- The ultimate top of the hierarchy is occupied by the big shots.
informal On a large scale; with great enthusiasm. he contributed to the project in a big way they went for it in a big way Example sentencesExamples - The spiralling unemployment rate has resulted in the frustrated youth taking to crime in a big way.
- If the project takes off in a big way, the potential for a more realistic movie experience may not be very far off.
- The Internet's traditional advantages come to play in a big way to make it an effective way to meet people.
- That affected me in a big way - I think I'm only now beginning to come to terms with it.
- It is a wonderful example of how Canadian films are breaking into new territory in a big way.
- That which was not necessarily noticed in a big way would suddenly become the focus of everybody's attention.
- We are told that corporates have taken to such dance lessons in a big way.
- People, especially those in the bigger cities, are investing in a big way in mutual funds.
- Apologies for last week, but lethargy and apathy set in in a big way.
- Of course, their cause was aided in a big way by one of the biggest corporations around.
informal Become very successful or famous. Simon had made it big in the financial world Example sentencesExamples - Since he was a child Matthew dreamed of making it big, of being a player in a country where more than half of the national wealth is controlled by a handful of families.
- ‘Many successful entrepreneurs suffered failures before they made it big,’ he notes.
- Every band dreams of making it big but we were just happy having fun really.
- They have no dream of making it big in racing - they just want to get behind the wheel.
- For every successful cartoonist who makes it big, there are thousands of other equally talented artists that go completely unrecognized.
- A year earlier he had taken the Premiership by storm - scoring eight goals in 34 starts - a talented teenager making it big in a man's world.
- You want to talk about someone who's making it big?
- After a series of setbacks during the past 12 months, the industry now feels rejuvenated with family themes making it big at the box-office.
- I spent a few years playing in a garage band and the biggest failure there was we never really tried to make it big.
- Most people think of success as making it big in power and money.
informal Talk boastfully or overconfidently. he talked big, blinding her with legal jargon Example sentencesExamples - As for the minister, this won't be the first time he has talked big but achieved much less.
- My dad was the type who talked big about getting a new car, but rarely acted.
- His detractors on both left and right, however, say he talked big but accomplished little.
- A couple of my co-workers have met the challenge, and a couple of them have failed miserably, although they talked big about it afterwards.
- Behind the green baize bravado was quite evidently a character who talked big when the chips were up, but folded when it came to real life.
- She is not a person who talks big; she is just studiously working away.
- Toad talked big about all he was going to do in the days to come, while stars grew fuller and larger all around them, and a yellow moon, appearing suddenly and silently from nowhere in particular, came to keep them company and listen to their talk.
- If, however, he doesn't stand firm, he will be ridiculed as someone who talked big and couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen.
- Rogers and all of the others who talked big back at the beach began to change when we got to the replacement area in Belgium.
- The retail company talked big but delivered little for consumers.
Synonyms brag, boast, crow, bluster, exaggerate
to trade in a heavyweight world market we must think big Example sentencesExamples - ‘I went in thinking big and the idea got pared down a bit,’ she says.
- Under his chairmanship, the club thought big and aimed high - then ultimately fell hard when the dreams failed to come true and the lavish spending off the pitch failed to translate into success on it.
- In business terms and culturally we are very similar: a small people thinking big, and I urge any ambitious company to go for it.
- His energy was unflagging, he thought big and bold.
- I have always thought big and it seems to have paid off.
- This gives them a double chance, and must give them the incentive to think big.
- It thinks big, has a vision of the future and measures each step it will take.
- The logo is the mark of a bank thinking big and growing into an ambitious and resplendent entity.
- It has a wonderful under-age structure and everybody involved in the club thinks big about all issues, always wanting to improve.
- Donald learned the business from his father, but with a twist: He thought big, very BIG.
too big for one's britches (or breeches) Example sentencesExamples - If you've got wealth, privilege or exalted connections crowned with success, then in this country you are judged way too big for your boots and in need of an urgent reality check.
- He's been getting far too big for his boots recently.
- They long ago became just too big for their boots.
- She has no airs and graces and will put you in check if she thinks you're being too big for your boots - she's done it to me before.
- Basically, they think you're too big for your boots and want you cut down to size.
- There are plenty of applicants to fill the space left by a boy band who got too big for their boots.
- After his eldest boy's graduation ceremony he said: ‘Don't get too big for your boots, son.’
- I don't know how I'm going to get paid, but I'd rather go out into the brave new world than live with dinosaurs that are far too big for their boots.
- ‘He told me never to be too big for your boots and always be friendly to everyone,’ she said.
- I think that room is appearing again for the little man and people want to say to the big guys that they're getting too big for their boots.
Synonyms conceited, full of oneself, cocky, boastful, arrogant, cocksure, above oneself, self-important, immodest, swaggering, strutting
informal The use or threat of force or power. the authorities used quiet persuasion instead of a big stick Example sentencesExamples - They don't need a big stick or a royal warning to force them - they know it makes good business sense.
- He said: ‘This is another attempt to be seen to be using a big stick when what we need is to properly resource social work departments.’
- ‘The way forward is to not to get a big stick but to say that equal opportunities makes good business sense,’ she said.
- Bad people need the big stick, not counselling.
- But the soft-speaking only works if the other side understands that there is a willingness to use the big stick.
- It is now panicking and waving the big stick of the threat to cap, which is something it said it would not do.
- I've been beaten around with a big stick by the media in England.
- They take the big stick out whenever there's a problem.
- To be tough on sick absence you need to tackle the root causes rather than adopting a crude big stick approach.
- Does he use a big stick or does he have extraordinary powers of motivation?
the Big Three, (Four, etc.) informal The dominant group of three, four, etc. increased competition between the Big Three networks Example sentencesExamples - The exhibition began with the famous photograph of the Big Three - Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.
- We are everywhere advised that suddenly there has been ordained a Big Four in golf, and these designees will lead the field in the Masters this week.
- In about an hour, the Big Three east coast newspapers should e-publish tomorrow's editions.
- The survey indicated that cost is more important to the Big Three than its foreign competitors.
- Each player was given a separate amount of chips before the game and the four members of the Big Four were ready to play.
- The Big Three, however, saw an emerging opportunity as boomers began buying second homes.
- But the projections still don't look good, and already one of the Big Three has hit the rocks.
- With the squad due to leave on their Far East tour tomorrow morning, it is important that the Big Three's destiny is decided rapidly.
- When that happened, many insiders started questioning the whole premise of the Big Three.
- However, the team's defense has grown in the shadows of the Big Three.
informal Have a great effect; be a success. the story went over big with the children Example sentencesExamples - It went over big with the crowd, and if you voted for the opposition, you probably found it amusing.
- I bet the massage thing would go over big, too - it's a very physical job, and aches and pains are par for the course.
- The loss of the player to the Raiders didn't go over big with his former teammates.
- I realize this will probably not go over big with a lot of CIOs - my saying they're hiding behind their technology.
- Juggling also goes over big - especially with fire.
- He began by saying he hadn't come to relive the 2000 election - and then spent half his speech doing just that, which of course went over big with the crowd.
- These ideas obviously went over big with our gift testers.
- These days you only have to give the audience a hint that their collective hands should beat out a rhythm, in order to reassure those on stage that they are going over big.
- It is, rather, sentimental, and sentimentality always goes over big in the commercial theater, so long as it's disguised as realism.
- Figure out the answer to that and you are well on your way to finding gifts that will go over big.
Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘strong, mighty’): of unknown origin. |