grand
/ɡrand
/adjective
1Magnificent and imposing in appearance, size, or style: a grand country house the dinner party was very grand...
- The room, one of 20, was decorated and furnished in the grand country house style, with a huge carved wooden bed and the largest wardrobe I have ever seen.
- Christopher and Sara tied the knot and celebrated in style with a grand wedding party at the Captain's Corner.
- The tandem pair were able to relax in style in the grand surrounding of the Ambassador's residence and were given a warm welcome when they arrived for an official reception last night.
Synonyms
magnificent, imposing, impressive, awe-inspiring, splendid, resplendent, superb, striking, monumental, majestic, glorious;
palatial, stately, large;
luxurious, sumptuous, lavish, opulent, princely, fit for a king;
British upmarket;
North American upscale
informal fancy, posh, plush, classy, swanky
British informal swish
1.1Large, ambitious, or impressive in scope or scale: his grand design for the future of Europe this was opera on a grand scale...
- An ambitious artist, he preferred to work on a grand scale with vibrant colour and virtuoso brushwork and was noted for his treatment of costume and the accuracy of his settings.
- Rome, with characteristic bravura, solved its food supply problem on a grand scale - by constructing the largest and most impressive sea-port of the ancient world.
- ‘Melbourne used volunteers in 1956, but Sydney was first to use them on such a grand scale at the 2000 Olympics,’ he said.
Synonyms
ostentatious, grandiose, showy, extravagant, lordly, imperious;
ambitious, bold, epic, big
1.2(Of a person) of high rank and behaving in an appropriately proud or dignified way: she was such a grand lady...
- He was very grand in those years and he was friends with Lord Woolsey who was the head of Her Majesty's Forces in Ireland, whose presence we're still very grateful for.
- I'd like to start working with them, but they all probably think I'm too grand and too expensive.
- Since reorganisation, some employees of the the council have come to realise that they are too grand and well-paid to respond to letters from residents.
Synonyms
august, distinguished, illustrious, eminent, esteemed, great, elevated, exalted, honoured, venerable, dignified, refined, respectable;
pre-eminent, prominent, leading, notable, renowned, highly regarded, celebrated, well thought of, of distinction, famous;
aristocratic, noble, regal, upper-class, blue-blooded, high-born, well born, patrician, elite
informal posh, upper-crust, upmarket, top-drawer
1.3Used in names of places or buildings to suggest size or splendour: the Grand Canyon the Grand Hotel...
- Flying over and through the Grand Canyon offers a unique perspective of its true grandeur.
- The Grand Theatre has a wide variety of shows and exhibitions for everyone to enjoy.
- He is chairman of Northern Ballet Theatre, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Yorkshire Dance and the Grand Theatre.
2 [attributive] Denoting the largest or most important item of its kind: the grand entrance...
- The arresting features of the building as visitors arrive are the new entrance, a new grand stairwell and the development of a central atrium with skylight.
- Trouble was, she bred so many grand champions she had to stop counting at 100.
- The last man, or woman, standing receives the grand prize, a large sum of money.
Synonyms
main, principal, foremost, major, central, prime;
biggest, largest
2.1Of the highest rank (used especially in official titles): the Grand Vizier...
- She will remain Grand Marshal of the Association until St Patrick's Day 2005.
- Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Sonja of Norway were accompanied by Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and the Earl of Wessex.
- But it doesn't sit well with Grand Chief Shirley Adamson of the Council of Yukon First Nations.
2.2 Law (Of a crime) serious: grand theft...Compare with petty (sense 2).
- A Los Angeles jury convicted him of forgery, attempted grand theft, and perjury.
- They were charged with grand theft auto and felony evasion.
- She has now been convicted of grand theft and vandalism but will not be facing jail time when she appears for sentencing on December 6.
3 informal Very good or enjoyable; excellent: we had a grand day...
- We are full of admiration for the grand work of your crews, and I know our squadrons are delighted.
- Mummy's looking just grand.
- Yesterday we had a grand day out in London.
Synonyms
excellent, very good, marvellous, splendid, first-class, first-rate, wonderful, brilliant, outstanding, sterling, of the first water, fine, admirable, commendable, creditable
informal superb, terrific, great, super, top-notch, A1, fab, ace, tip-top, out of this world, wicked
British informal smashing, brill, top-hole, champion, magic, bosting
North American informal bully
Australian/New Zealand informal beaut
British informal, dated top-hole, wizard
rare applaudable
4 [in combination] (In names of family relationships) denoting one generation removed in ascent or descent: a grand-niece
noun
1 (plural same) informal A thousand dollars or pounds: he gets thirty-five grand a year...
- No one in their right mind is going to pay a grand for the console.
- The victim was given a few grand to keep quiet and the manager kept his job.
- You could make a good living doing this: taking a few grand to draw up plans, then blowing out the budget by such a preposterous amount that your client simply wants you to go away.
Synonyms
thousand pounds/dollars
informal thou, K
North American informal G, gee
2A grand piano.Keys continue into the body of the piano for another twelve inches or so, making the entire key about eighteen inches long in upright pianos and smaller grand pianos, and almost two feet long in nine-foot grands....
- Many manufacturers will offer both uprights and grands with smaller keyboards.
- The Hamilton H399 joins the full line of Hamilton grands and verticals off, red by Gibson Guitar's Wurlitzer piano division.
Phrases
a (or the) grand old man of
Derivatives
grandness
/ noun ...- Yet another cartoon hero has made his way from the relative anonymity of comic book pages to the grandness and splendour of the big screen.
- Venture off the beaten track, though, and you'll find some interesting attractions that might lack the grandness of the big chateaux, but have a real character all their own.
- The chandeliers, the pianist playing Cole Porter numbers, and just the grandness of the room all add to the feeling that somehow you have been transported into a bygone age.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French grant, grand, from Latin grandis 'full-grown, big, great'. The original uses were to denote family relationships (sense 4 of the adjective, following Old French usage) and as a title (the Grand, translating Old French le Grand); hence the senses 'of the highest rank', 'of great importance'.
Rhymes
- full of beans
- full of oneself
- full of one's own importance
- full of years
- full on
- full (or tight) as a tick
- full out
- full page
- full pay
- full point
- full price
- full professor
- full professorship
- full ride
- full-rigged
- full-scale
- full score
- full-service broker
- full-service brokerage
- full sister
- full-size
- full-sized
- full steam (or speed) ahead
- full stop
- full term