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

First Minister Michelle O'Neill said that Mr Reid was "a true giant in local journalism, and an all-round gentleman".

From BBC

The streaming giant will also make a US version.

From BBC

“We built ourselves a giant cocktail, sat on the side of the bed and cried like babies,” Mason remembers.

From Los Angeles Times

"I was just starting my chemo journey when I read about the links, but I felt enraged that a corporate giant like J&J could seem to do this," she says.

From BBC

US media giant Comcast is set to spin off its NBCUniversal cable television arm, as the industry continues to struggle with the emergence of streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

From BBC

Related Words

• behemoth
• titan