Definition of 'great'

Word Frequency

great

(greɪt )

Word forms: comparative greater , superlative greatest , plural greats

1. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

You use great to describe something that is very large. Great is more formal than big.

The room had a great bay window.

...a great hall as long and high as a church.

Synonyms: large, big, huge, vast More Synonyms of great

2. adjective

Great means large in amount or degree.

I'll take great care of it.

Benjamin Britten did not live to a great age.

Synonyms: extreme, considerable, excessive, high More Synonyms of great

3. adjective

You use great to describe something that is important, famous, or exciting.

...the great cultural achievements of the past.

America can be great again.

Synonyms: major, lead, leading, chief More Synonyms of great

greatness uncountable noun

A nation must take certain risks to achieve greatness.

Synonyms: strength, force, intensity, high degree More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: grandeur, dignity, majesty, generosity More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: importance, moment, weight, import [formal] More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: immensity, size, mass, length More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: grandeur, glory, majesty, splendour More Synonyms of great

4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]

You can describe someone who is successful and famous for their actions, knowledge, or skill as great.

Wes Hall was once one of the West Indies' great cricketers.

...the great George Padmore.

Synonyms: expert, skilled, talented, skilful More Synonyms of great

greatness uncountable noun

Abraham Lincoln achieved greatness.

Synonyms: strength, force, intensity, high degree More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: grandeur, dignity, majesty, generosity More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: importance, moment, weight, import [formal] More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: immensity, size, mass, length More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: grandeur, glory, majesty, splendour More Synonyms of great

Synonyms: fame, glory, celebrity, distinction More Synonyms of great

5. plural noun

The greats in a particular subject or field of activity are the people who have been most successful or famous in it.

[journalism]

...all the greats of Hollywood.

...cycling's all-time greats.

6. plural noun

The greats of popular modern music are records that have been successful and that continue to be popular.

[journalism]

...a medley of rock'n'roll greats.

7. adjective

If you describe someone or something as great, you approve of them or admire them.

[informal, approval]

Arturo has this great place in Cazadero.

They're a great bunch of guys.

I think she's great.

8. adjective

If you feel great, you feel very healthy, energetic, and enthusiastic.

I feel just great.

9. adjective

You use great in order to emphasize the size or degree of a characteristic or quality.

[emphasis]

...a great big Italian wedding.

...her sense of colour and great eye for detail.

10. exclamation

You say great in order to emphasize that you are pleased or enthusiastic about something.

[feelings]

Oh great! That'll be good for Fergus.

11. exclamation

You say great in order to emphasize that you are angry or annoyed about something.

[feelings]

'Oh great,' I thought. 'Just what I need.'

12. countable noun

Great is used as part of the name of a species of plant or animal when there is another species of the same plant or animal which is smaller and has different characteristics.

...the great white shark.

13. See also greater

More Synonyms of great

Word Frequency

great in British

(ɡreɪt )

adjective

relatively large in size or extent; big

relatively large in number; having many parts or members

a great assembly

of relatively long duration

a great wait

of larger size or more importance than others of its kind

the great auk

extreme or more than usual

great worry

of significant importance or consequence

a great decision

of exceptional talents or achievements; remarkable

a great writer

(as noun)

the great

one of the greats

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

great deeds

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

what a great buffoon

he's not a great one for reading

14. (often foll by at)

skilful or adroit

a great carpenter

you are great at singing

15. informal

excellent; fantastic

16. British informal

(intensifier)

a dirty great big lie

17. (postpositive; foll by with) archaic

pregnant

great with child

full (of)

great with hope

18.

(intensifier, used in mild oaths)

Great Scott!

19. be great on

adverb

20. informal

very well; excellently

it was working great

noun

21. Also called: great organ

the principal manual on an organ

Compare choir (sense 4), swell (sense 16)

Derived forms

greatly (ˈgreatly)

adverb

greatness (ˈgreatness)

noun

Word origin of 'great'

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

Word Frequency

great in American

(greɪt ; grāt)

adjective

of much more than ordinary size, extent, volume, etc.

; esp.,

designating a thing or group of things larger than others of the same kind

the great cats are tigers, lions, etc.; the Great Lakes

large in number, quantity, etc.; numerous

a great company

long in duration

a great while

much higher in some quality or degree; much above the ordinary or average

; esp.,

existing in a high degree; intense

a great light, great pain

very much of a; acting much as (something specified)

a great reader

eminent; distinguished; illustrious; superior

a great playwright

very impressive or imposing; remarkable

great ceremony

having or showing nobility of mind, purpose, etc.; grand

a great man, great ideas

of most importance; main; chief

the great seal

4. Informal

clever; expert; skillful

usually with at

great at tennis

5. US, Informal

excellent; splendid; fine

6. Chiefly Dialectal

pregnant

: chiefly in great with child

adverb

7. Informal

very well

noun

a great or distinguished person

usually used in pl.

SIMILAR WORDS: large

Idioms:

great on

the great

Derived forms

greatly (ˈgreatly)

adverb

greatness (ˈgreatness)

noun

Word origin of 'great'

ME grete < OE great, akin to Ger gross, Du groot < IE base *ghrēu-, rub hard over, crumble > grit, Welsh gro, sand: basic sense “coarse, coarsegrained”

Example sentences containing 'great'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

And it does not get a great deal worse than this. The Sun (2017)Social media is great but people voice their opinions in the wrong way sometimes. Times, Sunday Times (2016)It was my first time but she made me feel great. The Sun (2017)Jumping in the ocean is one of the great joys in my life. The Sun (2016)While they are big in area, many of the great modern reservoirs can be disappointing for birds. Times, Sunday Times (2016)The controls clearly show which speed is suitable for which task, with a great number and variety of options. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Let's go make something great! Times, Sunday Times (2016)IT has been a sad year for music with many all-time greats passing away. The Sun (2016)He said: 'It was a great day. The Sun (2016)She said:'I will say it is great to have a woman in charge of the country. The Sun (2016)You may also need to move quickly if you wish to secure a great deal. Times, Sunday Times (2011)We feel great sadness when a person dies or is hurt on our land. Times, Sunday Times (2008)One of the great modern managerial careers now hinges on a long shot. Times, Sunday Times (2016)There are a great number of exercise ideas to choose from. Vera Peiffer POSITIVELY FEARLESS: Breaking free of the fears that hold you back (2001)So often one great performance will overwhelm the rest. Times, Sunday Times (2012)Which is not to say the great gutting was unnecessary. Times, Sunday Times (2013)That you say you have something of great importance to our cause. Iain Gale Man of Honour (2007)Being on the ocean was another of her great pleasures. Times, Sunday Times (2014)Washington has to recognise that it needs a great deal of help. Times, Sunday Times (2006)We made a renewed commitment to use great works of art in our own ministry back home. Christianity Today (2000)To work with that group of people has been great. Times, Sunday Times (2007)She also had great taste in music. Times, Sunday Times (2008)To take up this great offer go to our website. The Sun (2014)Some of these new services have great views from the top deck. The Sun (2013)My free leaflet on how to get a great social life is full of ideas. The Sun (2006)Then you notice the whacking great big lighthouse back left. Times, Sunday Times (2011)The guys behind the scenes are doing a great job. Times, Sunday Times (2013)We beat the greats of cinema. Times, Sunday Times (2009)So how do they match up against the all-time greats? Times, Sunday Times (2010)So just to be back at Wembley again is great. The Sun (2010)He is quick and skilful, he has great and scores tries. Times, Sunday Times (2014)The island is also renowned as the great white shark capital of Australia. Times, Sunday Times (2012)The Olympics would have been good but not great. Times, Sunday Times (2012)He said: 'It would be great to see her win one of them' The Sun (2010)

Trends of 'great'

Extremely Common. great is one of the 1000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'great'

Related Terms of 'great'

Source

Definition of great from the Collins English Dictionary

Types of noun

Nouns can be classified according to what they refer to. Nouns that are really names are called proper nouns. Proper nouns usually refer to a particular named person or thing. They include: the na...