giant

[ jahy-uhnt ]

noun

1. (in folklore) a being with human form but superhuman size, strength, etc.
2. a person or thing of unusually great size, power, importance, etc.; major figure; legend:

   a giant in her field; an intellectual giant.

3. (often initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. any of the Gigantes.
4. Mining. monitor ( def 12 ).
5. Astronomy. giant star.

adjective

1. unusually large, great, or strong; gigantic; huge.
2. greater or more eminent than others.

giant

/ ˈdʒaɪənt /

noun

1. a mythical figure of superhuman size and strength, esp in folklore or fairy tales Also (feminine)giantessˈdʒaɪəntɪs
2. a person or thing of exceptional size, reputation, etc

   a giant in nuclear physics

3. Greek myth any of the large and powerful offspring of Uranus (sky) and Gaea (earth) who rebelled against the Olympian gods but were defeated in battle
4. pathol a person suffering from gigantism
5. astronomy See giant star
6. mining another word for monitor

adjective

1. remarkably or supernaturally large
2. architect another word for colossal

Derived Forms

• ˈgiant-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• giant·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of giant¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English geant, from Old French, from Latin gigant-, stem of gigās, from Greek Gígās; replacing Old English gigant, from Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of giant¹

C13: from Old French geant, from Vulgar Latin gagās (unattested), from Latin gigās, gigant-, from Greek

Example Sentences

The Los Gatos, Calif.-based streaming giant said 60 million households watched the bout between Paul, a fighter who has established his fame through YouTube, and Tyson, the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion.

From Los Angeles Times

Few rock frontmen, though, would have been open to receiving it while in a car listening to a news report about the theft of a giant model gorilla from a Scottish garden centre.

From BBC

Hazel’s giant tail keeps harassing him and she clacks her teeth, shakes as if frozen in front of an oncoming car, and makes more “nuts” puns than you might expect.

From Los Angeles Times

The technical reason for the delay was unclear but the streaming giant said it was "incredibly sorry".

From BBC

The real excitement came when the 20-story-tall booster rocket returned to the launch site and was caught in mid-air by two giant metal arms.

From NewsForKids.net

Related Words

• behemoth
• titan