great

[ greyt ]

adjective

, great·er, great·est.

1. unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions:

   A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

   Synonyms: grand, vast, huge, gigantic, enormous, immense

   Antonyms: small

2. large in number; numerous:

   Great hordes of tourists descend on Europe each summer.

3. unusual or considerable in degree, power, intensity, etc.:

   great pain.

4. wonderful; very good; first-rate:

   We had a great time.

   That's great!

5. being such in an extreme or notable degree:

   great friends;

   a great talker.

6. exceptionally outstanding; notable; remarkable:

   a great occasion.

   Synonyms: noteworthy

7. highly significant or consequential; important:

   the great issues in American history.

   Synonyms: critical, vital, momentous, serious, weighty

   Antonyms: insignificant

8. distinguished; famous:

   a great inventor.

   Synonyms: prominent, notable, noted, eminent, famed, renowned

   Antonyms: insignificant

9. of noble or lofty character:

   great thoughts.

   Synonyms: dignified, exalted, elevated

10. chief or principal:

    the great hall;

    his greatest novel.

    Synonyms: leading, grand, main

11. of high rank, official position, or social standing:

    a great noble.

    Antonyms: insignificant

12. much in use or favor:

    “Humor” was a great word with the old physiologists.

13. of extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable:

    a great statesman.

14. of considerable duration or length:

    We waited a great while for the train.

15. Informal.
    1. enthusiastic about some specified activity (usually followed by at, for, or on ):

       He's great on reading poetry aloud.

    2. skillful; expert (usually followed by at or on ):

       He's great at golf.

16. being of one generation more remote from the family relative specified (used in combination):

    a great-grandson.

adverb

1. Informal. very well:

   Things have been going great for him.

noun

, plural greats, (especially collectively) great.

1. a person who has achieved importance or distinction in a field:

   She is one of the theater's greats.

2. great persons, collectively:

   England's literary great.

3. (often initial capital letter) greats, (used with a singular verb) Also called great go. British Informal.
   1. the final examination for the bachelor's degree in the classics and mathematics, or Literae Humaniores, especially at Oxford University and usually for honors.
   2. the course of study.
   3. the subject studied.

interjection

1. (used to express acceptance, appreciation, approval, admiration, etc.)
2. (used ironically or facetiously to express disappointment, annoyance, distress, etc.):

   Great! We just missed the last train home.

great-

¹

prefix

1. being the parent of a person's grandparent (in the combinations great-grandfather, great-grandmother, great-grandparent )
2. being the child of a person's grandchild (in the combinations great-grandson, great-granddaughter, great-grandchild )

great

²

/ ɡreɪt /

adjective

1. relatively large in size or extent; big
2. relatively large in number; having many parts or members

   a great assembly

3. of relatively long duration

   a great wait

4. of larger size or more importance than others of its kind

   the great auk

5. extreme or more than usual

   great worry

6. of significant importance or consequence

   a great decision

7. 1. of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable

      a great writer

   2. ( as noun )

      the great

      one of the greats

8. arising from or possessing idealism in thought, action, etc; heroic

   great deeds

9. illustrious or eminent

   a great history

10. impressive or striking

    a great show of wealth

11. much in use; favoured

    poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era

12. active or enthusiastic

    a great walker

13. doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale

    he's not a great one for reading

    what a great buffoon

14. often foll by at skilful or adroit

    you are great at singing

    a great carpenter

15. informal.
    excellent; fantastic
16. informal.
    (intensifier)

    a dirty great smack in the face

17. archaic.
    postpositivefoll bywith
    1. pregnant

       great with child

    2. full (of)

       great with hope

18. (intensifier, used in mild oaths)

    Great Scott!

19. be great on informal.
    1. to be informed about
    2. to be enthusiastic about or for

adverb

1. informal.
   very well; excellently

   it was working great

noun

1. Also calledgreat organ the principal manual on an organ Compare choir swell

Derived Forms

• ˈgreatness, noun
• ˈgreatly, adverb

Other Words From

• great·ness noun
• half-great adjective
• o·ver·great adjective
• o·ver·great·ly adverb
• qua·si-great adjective
• qua·si-great·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of great¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English greet, Old English grēat; cognate with Dutch groot, German gross

Word History and Origins

Origin of great¹

Old English grēat; related to Old Frisian grāt, Old High German grōz; see grit , groat

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. great with child, being in the late stages of pregnancy.

More idioms and phrases containing great

• good (great) deal
• good (great) many
• go to any length (great lengths)
• have a good (great) mind to
• make great strides
• no great shakes
• set (great) store by

Example Sentences

They focus specifically on urbanising river deltas, which are of great social and economic importance and highly vulnerable to climate change.

From Science Daily

Broadcast executives are encouraged that Carr is calling for greater regulation of the tech industry, which he outlines in a chapter he wrote for Project 2025.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s not a great sign for Democratic resistance, either, that not all Democrats agree.

From Salon

She expects great things from you, even in kindergarten and I love that about her.

From Salon

As the saying goes, if “great artists steal,” the Chargers have become master painters, with “Charm City” the perfect place to start, even if it is 2,700 miles away.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• best
• brilliant
• consummate
• excellent
• exceptional
• extraordinary
• fine
• magnificent
• nonpareil
• peerless
• superlative
• supreme

When To Use

What are other ways to say great?

Something that is great may be unusually or comparatively large in size or number. How is great different from the adjectives large and big? Find out more on Thesaurus.com.