great
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- large, big, enormous, gigantic, huge, immense, prodigious, vast, voluminous
- important, critical, crucial, momentous, serious, significant
- famous, eminent, illustrious, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, renowned
- excellent, fantastic (informal), fine, marvellous (informal), superb, terrific (informal), tremendous (informal), wonderful

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Antonyms: little
Contrasted words: measly, paltry, petty, puny, trifling, trivial
Related Words: superlative, supreme, surpassing, transcendent

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English Thesaurus: big, large, major, considerable/substantial, huge/massive/enormous, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. great¹ S1 W1 /ɡreɪt/ adjective (comparative greater, superlative greatest)
[Word Family: noun: greatness, great; adverb: greatly; adjective: great]
[Language: Old English]

1. LARGE [usually before noun] very large in amount or degree:
The movie was a great success.
The news came as possibly the greatest shock of my life.
The paintings cost a great deal (=a lot) of money.
John always takes great care over his work.
It gives me great pleasure (=I am very pleased) to introduce tonight’s speaker.
It’s a great pity that none of his poems survive.
The temptation was too great to resist.

2. EXCELLENT especially spoken
very good Synonym : wonderful, fantastic:
The weather here is great.
It’s great to be home.
a great day out for all the family
sound/taste/smell/feel etc great
I worked out this morning and I feel great.
You look great in that dress.
great for doing something
Email’s great for keeping in touch.
the great thing about somebody/something (=the very good thing about someone or something)
The great thing about Alex is that he’s always willing to explain things to you.

3. IMPORTANT
a) [usually before noun] important or having a lot of influence:
one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time
What makes a novel truly great?
great historical events
b) used in the title of a person or event that was very important in the past
Peter/Catherine etc the Great
I’m reading a biography of Alexander the Great.
the Great Depression
the Great War old-fashioned (=World War I)

4. GENEROUS very good or generous in a way that people admire:
a great humanitarian gesture

5. EXTREMELY SKILFUL famous for being able to do something extremely well:
Ali was undoubtedly one of the greatest boxers of all time.
a book about the lives of the great composers

6. BIG written very big Synonym : huge:
A great crowd had gathered.
A great iron stove filled half the room.

7. great big spoken very big:
Get your great big feet off my table!

8. DOING SOMETHING A LOT used to emphasize that someone does something a lot
a great talker/reader/admirer etc
Anthony’s a great talker – sometimes you just can’t get a word in.
Len was a great believer in the power of positive thinking.
be a great one for doing something
She’s a great one for telling stories about her schooldays.

9. to a greater or lesser extent used to emphasize that something is always true, even though it is more true or noticeable in some situations than others:
Most companies operate in conditions that are to a greater or lesser extent competitive.

10. be no great shakes informal to not be very good, interesting, or skilful:
The work’s no great shakes, but at least I’m earning.

11. be going great guns informal to be doing something extremely well:
After a slow start, the Tigers are going great guns.

12. BAD spoken informal used when you are disappointed or annoyed about something:
‘Daniel’s cancelled the party.’ ‘Oh great!’

13. ANIMAL/BIRD/PLANT ETC used in the names of some animals or plants, especially when they are bigger than other animals or plants of the same type:
the Great Crested Grebe

14. the great outdoors informal the countryside, considered as enjoyable and healthy:
He had a taste for adventure and the great outdoors.

15. great minds (think alike) spoken used humorously when you and another person have had the same idea

16. the greater good a general advantage that you can only gain by losing or harming something that is considered less important:
Some wars are fought for the greater good.

17. the great apes the different types of animals that are similar to large monkeys, considered as a group:
Alone of the great apes, the gorilla is not very efficient at using tools.

18. the great divide a situation in which there is a big difference between groups in society, areas of a country etc, for example a big difference between their wealth or attitudes:
The great divide between north and south seems to be as unbridgeable as ever.

19. Greater London/Los Angeles/Manchester etc London, Los Angeles etc and its outer areas

20. huge/enormous great British English spoken used to emphasize how big something is

21. great Scott!/great Heavens! spoken old-fashioned used to express shock or surprise

22. great with child literary very soon to have a baby
—greatness noun [uncountable]:
She was destined for greatness.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. great² noun
[Word Family: noun: greatness, great; adverb: greatly; adjective: great]

1. [countable usually plural] a very successful and famous person in a particular sport, profession etc:
Jack Nicklaus is one of golf’s all-time greats.
I think his show’s OK, but I wouldn’t call him one of the greats.

2. the great and the good people who are considered important – used humorously

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

great- /ɡreɪt/ prefix

1. great-grandfather/great-grandmother/great-aunt/great-uncle the grandfather, grandmother etc of your parents

2. great-grandchild/great-granddaughter etc the GRANDCHILDREN of your child

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

great
adj.
I. large in amount/degree/size, etc.
VERBS be | become
ADV. very The play was a very great success.
PHRASES great big There's a great big hole in this sleeve.
no great Don't worry. It's no great problem.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

great
II. admired
VERBS be
ADV. really, truly, very He was a truly great man.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

great
III. very good/pleasant
VERBS be, feel, look, seem, smell, sound, taste You're looking great. Marriage must suit you!
ADV. really That's really great news!
absolutely The food smells absolutely great.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

big:
a big city
a big guy
a big mistake
Lack of funding is the biggest problem.
Getting a car has made a big difference to my life.
large a slightly more formal word than big, used to describe objects and amounts:
a large bowl
Large areas of the forest have been destroyed.
The museum attracts a large number of visitors.
major [only before noun] big and important:
Pollution is a major problem.
There has been a major change in government policy.
considerable/substantial quite big – used especially about amounts:
They have spent a considerable amount of money on the project.
A substantial amount of heat is lost through the windows.
He had a considerable influence on young musicians.
huge/massive/enormous extremely big:
The table was enormous.
a huge explosion
Their house is huge.
There is a huge amount of work to be done.
There has been a massive increase in oil prices.
The company is massive, operating in 150 countries.
A massive fire destroyed more than thirty homes.
He’s been under an enormous amount of stress recently.
The changes will have an enormous impact.
great [only before noun] very big – used especially to describe the level or number of something:
He achieved great success in America.
The college offers a great number of courses.
a great advantage
vast extremely big – used about areas, distances, numbers, or amounts:
vast areas of rainforest
A vast number of tourists visit the island every year.
gigantic extremely big and much bigger than other things of the same type:
Gigantic waves crashed onto the beach.
colossal extremely big – used about amounts or objects:
James ran up a colossal phone bill.
a colossal statue of Napoleon
tremendous having an extremely big effect:
There have been some tremendous changes.
My new job will be a tremendous challenge.
The children were making a tremendous amount of noise.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

excellent extremely good or of very high quality:
His English was excellent.
an excellent piece of work
great spoken extremely good. Great is less formal than excellent, and is the usual word to use in everyday spoken English:
‘Did you have a good holiday?' 'It was great!’
He did a great job as captain.
fantastic/terrific/wonderful spoken extremely good. These words sound even more excited than great or excellent:
‘I passed my exam.’ ‘That’s fantastic!’
Last year Jess had a terrific season, averaging eleven points a game.
The trip will be a wonderful opportunity for the children.
amazing/incredible extremely good in a surprising and exciting way:
an amazing view of Tokyo
The trip was an incredible experience.
superb extremely good – used especially when you are very impressed by something:
The acting was superb.
There is a superb range of cheeses.
first-class of a high quality and much better than most others:
The service is first-class.
a first-class restaurant
outstanding extremely good – used when saying how well someone does something:
He’s an outstanding player.
It was an outstanding performance by a talented young actor.
exceptional unusually good – used when saying that someone or something is much better than any others:
She has an exceptional talent.
He writes good essays, but I wouldn’t say that his work is particularly exceptional.
Merits are given as an honour for exceptional achievement.
out of this world [not before noun] spoken informal used when saying that something is so good that it is better than anything you could have imagined:
The food is out of this world.
awesome especially American English very good:
It was an awesome concert.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

fantastic/terrific spoken extremely good, in a way that makes you feel excited and happy – used mainly in spoken English:
The view from the top was fantastic.
He did a fantastic job.
That’s a terrific idea!
‘I passed!’ ‘That’s terrific!’
great spoken extremely good – used mainly in spoken English:
Thanks for a great afternoon.
‘Did you have a good holiday?' ’It was great!'
excellent extremely good – used especially about the quality of something. Excellent is more formal than fantastic/terrific or great, and is used in both spoken and written English:
Our local theatre has put on some excellent productions.
It is an excellent film.
wonderful extremely good in a way that impresses you or makes you very pleased:
She is really a wonderful person.
That’s wonderful news!
marvellous British English, marvelous American English extremely good in a way that impresses you or makes you very pleased. Marvellous sounds a little old-fashioned, but is still fairly common:
We had a marvellous dinner at a little restaurant near the hotel.
Martino’s performance was marvelous.
amazing extremely good in a surprising and exciting way:
Standing there on top of Mount Fuji was an amazing experience.
incredible extremely good in a surprising and exciting way. Incredible is often used when something is so good that it almost seems unlikely:
What a goal! That was incredible!
It was an incredible moment - one that I will never forget.
brilliant British English informal extremely good:
‘How was your trip?’ ‘Absolutely brilliant!’
What a brilliant idea!
be out of this world used when saying that something is so good that you cannot imagine anything better:
Their desserts are out of this world.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

fun noun [uncountable] especially spoken an experience or activity that is very enjoyable and exciting:
The course was fun.
Have you ever been windsurfing? It’s really good fun.
I just want to relax and have some fun.
It’ll be fun seeing all my old friends again.
Running around a freezing hockey field isn’t my idea of fun.
enjoyment noun [uncountable] the feeling you get when you enjoy doing something:
I get a lot of enjoyment out of working with young children.
pleasure noun [countable] an experience or activity that makes you feel happy and satisfied:
The game was a pleasure to watch.
One of her greatest pleasures was walking in the mountains.
Ted enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: his family, his home, and his garden.
good/great time noun [countable] especially spoken a time when you enjoyed yourself:
The kids all had a great time.
I remember the good times in Japan.
Were the 1960s really such great times?
a blast informal a very enjoyable experience – a very informal use:
The trip was a blast!
entertainment noun [uncountable] things such as performances and films which are intended to be enjoyable:
Three musicians provided the entertainment.
What do you do for entertainment around here?
They hired two dancers for entertainment.
relaxation noun [uncountable] a way of resting and enjoying yourself:
I play the piano for relaxation.
Her work left little time for relaxation.
leisure noun [uncountable] the time when you are not working, when you can enjoy yourself – used especially in compounds:
leisure activities
the leisure industry
People have more leisure time.
recreation noun [uncountable and countable] formal activities that you do to enjoy yourself:
recreation facilities
The park is not just a place for recreation.
nice especially spoken pleasant or enjoyable:
Did you have a nice day?
It was nice to be back home again.
lovely especially British English informal very nice:
We had a lovely time at the beach.
The hotel was lovely.
enjoyable giving you pleasure:
We had a very enjoyable evening.
wonderful very enjoyable:
It was a wonderful concert.
The food was wonderful.
great (also brilliant British English) informal very enjoyable:
‘How was the party?’ ‘It was great!’
We all had a brilliant time.
charming used about something that seems pleasant and has a lot of qualities that make you like it:
a charming little village in the Italian countryside
I thought the restaurant was rather charming.
delightful formal very pleasant or enjoyable:
There are many delightful walks in the area.
a delightful evening
pleasurable formal a pleasurable experience or feeling is one that you enjoy:
Shopping in the old city can be a pleasurable experience.
a pleasurable feeling of relief

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

increase to become larger in number, amount, or degree:
Sales increased by 25%.
The level of violence has increased.
go up to increase. Go up is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The price of coffee has gone up.
rise to increase. Rise sounds a little formal and is often used when talking about the level of something increasing:
The demand for oil has been rising steadily.
Living standards have risen dramatically.
grow to increase, especially gradually over a period of time – used about numbers or amounts:
Since 1990, US imports of foreign goods have grown at a rate of 7.7% per year.
The number of people working from home has grown substantially.
escalate to increase to a high level – used about things that you do not want to increase such as costs, crimes, or violence:
Fuel prices are escalating.
The fighting has escalated.
double/triple to become twice as much or three times as much:
Since 1950, the number of people dying from cancer has almost doubled.
The company’s profits tripled last quarter.
expand to become larger in size, or to include a wider range of activities:
The business has expanded at a rate of 15% per year.
We are hoping to expand into mobile phone services.
soar to increase and reach a very high level – used about numbers and amounts, or about feelings:
The temperature soared to 36.6 degrees centigrade.
His confidence soared.
The singer’s popularity has soared.
shoot up to increase very quickly and suddenly – used about prices, numbers, or temperatures:
Share prices shot up 30% over the last week.
put something up to increase prices, taxes etc. Put up something is less formal than increase, and is the usual verb to use in everyday English:
The landlord has put the rent up again.
They’re always putting up gas prices.
raise to increase something such as prices or taxes, or levels or standards:
The bank has raised interest rates for the third time this year.
The school aims to raise students’ levels of achievement.
boost to increase sales, profits, production etc, especially when they have been lower than you want them to be:
Growing affluence has boosted sales.
Oil exports boosted the economy.
extend to increase something such as your power or influence, or the number of things you are involved in:
We are hoping to extend the range of services that we offer.
The company plans to extend its dominance of the world car market.
step up something to increase your efforts or activities, especially to change a situation:
Security has been stepped up following the bombing.
Local people have stepped up their campaign to prevent a prison being built in their neighbourhood.
heighten to increase a feeling or effect:
The attack has heightened concerns about racism in schools.
Hunger can heighten the effect that alcohol has on you.
maximize to increase something as much as possible:
Businesses try to maximize efficiency and cut costs.
To maximize the chances of a successful pregnancy, you should make sure that you eat well.
big/large
The company has announced a big increase in its profits for last year.
slight/small
Doctors have reported a slight increase in the number of deaths caused by the disease.
The temperature increase was quite small.
great (=big)
There has been a great increase in air traffic in the last twenty years.
huge/massive (=very big)
There was a huge increase in emigration after the war.
substantial/considerable formal (=quite big)
He negotiated a substantial increase in pay for the workers.
significant/marked (=definite and noticeable)
Over the last few years, there has been a marked increase in tourism to developing countries.
dramatic/sharp (=large and sudden)
What has led to this dramatic increase in prices?
rapid (=happening quickly)
Recently there has been a rapid increase in fish farming.
modest (=small)
The figures reveal a modest increase in the birth rate.
gradual (=happening slowly)
Her temperature chart showed a gradual increase over the preceding six hours.
steady (=happening slowly but continuously)
The university has benefited from a steady increase in student numbers.
a threefold/fourfold/fivefold etc increase (=an increase by three, four etc times)
The figures show a threefold increase in incidents of car theft.
a 10%/50% etc increase
A 5% increase in petrol prices is predicted.
an annual increase
The company reported a 10% increase in pre-tax profits.
lead to an increase
They argue that the abolition of the death penalty has led to an increase in the number of murders.
cause/bring about an increase
The heatwave brought about a massive increase in water consumption.
a price increase
We expect a price increase of 1.4% this year.
a fare increase
The airline instituted a 10% fare increase.
a wage/pay/salary increase
Canadian workers received a 5.4% wage increase.
a tax increase
The government had no choice but to impose a tax increase.
be on the increase (=be increasing)
Knife attacks are on the increase.
the rate of increase
The rate of increase in the number of violent crimes is much higher than under the previous government.
growth noun [singular, uncountable] an increase in the number, size, or importance of something. Growth is also used when saying that a company or a country’s economy becomes more successful:
The astonishing growth of the Internet has had a dramatic effect on people’s lives.
Japan experienced a period of rapid economic growth.
Many people are concerned about the enormous growth in the world’s population.
surge noun [countable usually singular] a sudden increase in something such as profits, demand, or interest:
There has been a big surge in demand for organically grown food.
We have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Chinese medicine.
gain noun [uncountable and countable] an increase in the amount or level of something - used especially in business or political contexts, or when talking about an increase in someone’s weight:
sales gains
The December job figures show a net gain of 81,000 jobs.
The party has experienced a gain in popularity.
The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies.
hike noun [countable] informal especially American English a large or sudden increase in prices or taxes - often used in newspaper reports:
Despite a 25% hike in fuel costs, the airline made a profit last year.
tax hikes
wage hikes
explosion noun [countable] a sudden very large increase in the amount or number of something:
There has been an explosion in the number of fast food restaurants.
The country experienced a population explosion.
The book caused an explosion of interest in Renaissance Italy.
boom noun [singular] a sudden large increase in trade, profits or sales, with the result that a country, company, or industry becomes very successful. Boom is also used about a sudden increase in interest in something, with the result that it becomes very popular:
the German economic boom of the 1960s
the Internet boom
There has been a boom in sales of diet books and videos.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

nice especially spoken friendly, kind, or polite. In written and formal English, it is better to use a more specific and interesting adjective than nice:
I like Clare – she’s really nice.
It was nice of them to offer to help.
pleasant friendly, polite, and easy to talk to – used especially about someone that you do not know very well:
I only met her once or twice but she seemed pleasant.
sweet very kind and gentle:
Kylie’s a very caring, sweet person.
It was sweet of you to send me a card.
charming behaving in a polite and friendly way, which makes people like you and want to do things for you:
The salesman was very charming.
a charming hostess
engaging interesting or amusing in a way that makes people like you – a rather formal word:
She can be very engaging.
an engaging smile
likeable easy to like and seeming nice and friendly:
Bobby was a likeable kid with an angelic face.
good-natured having a nice kind character and not getting angry easily:
Everyone likes Mike because he’s always so good-natured.
great informal used about someone who you like and admire a lot:
He’s a great guy!
Sue’s boyfriend is really great.
lovely especially British English informal very nice, kind, and friendly:
All the people I met on the course were lovely.
a lovely man
fun informal if something is fun, you enjoy it:
The holiday was great fun.
enjoyable giving you pleasure:
We had a very enjoyable evening.
wonderful very enjoyable:
It was a wonderful concert.
The food was wonderful.
delightful formal very pleasant or enjoyable:
There are many delightful walks in the area.
a delightful evening
pleasurable formal a pleasurable experience or feeling is one that you enjoy:
Shopping in the old city can be a pleasurable experience.
a pleasurable feeling of relief

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

nice especially spoken pleasant or enjoyable:
Did you have a nice day?
It was nice to be back home again.
lovely especially British English informal very nice:
We had a lovely time at the beach.
The hotel was lovely.
fun informal if something is fun, you enjoy it:
The holiday was great fun.
enjoyable giving you pleasure:
We had a very enjoyable evening.
wonderful very enjoyable:
It was a wonderful concert.
The food was wonderful.
great (also brilliant British English) informal very enjoyable:
‘How was the party?’ ‘It was great!’
We all had a brilliant time.
charming used about something that seems pleasant and has a lot of qualities that make you like it:
a charming little village in the Italian countryside
I thought the restaurant was rather charming.
delightful formal very pleasant or enjoyable:
There are many delightful walks in the area.
a delightful evening
pleasurable formal a pleasurable experience or feeling is one that you enjoy:
Shopping in the old city can be a pleasurable experience.
a pleasurable feeling of relief

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

star a large ball of burning gas in space, which can be seen at night as a point of light in the sky:
The dark night sky was clear and full of stars.
planet one of the large objects that goes around the sun, for example the Earth, Saturn, Mercury, or Mars:
The planet Uranus was discovered in 1781.
sun the star that gives us light and heat, around which the planets move. There are also many millions of other suns in the universe:
The sun came out from behind a cloud.
a dying sun
moon the round object that moves around the Earth every 28 days, or a similar object that goes around another planet:
The moon rose in the night sky.
Titan is one of the moons of Saturn.
asteroid a mass of rock that moves around the sun. Most asteroids are found between Jupiter and Mars:
the asteroid belt
pulsar a type of star that is far away in space and produces radiation and RADIO WAVES
quasar an object like a star that is far away in space and shines extremely brightly
supernova a very large exploding star
constellation a group of stars that forms a particular pattern and has a name:
The constellation of Orion is one of the most easily recognizable patterns of stars in the night sky.
galaxy one of the large groups of stars that make up the universe:
Astronomers have detected a galaxy 11 billion light years away.
the universe all space, including all the stars and planets:
How many planets in the universe have life?
celebrity someone who often appears in newspapers, on television etc and is well-known to the public. Celebrities are often famous for being famous, not because they have any great talent:
The magazine is full of gossip about celebrities.
name a famous person whose name is known by many people – used especially in the following expressions:
All the big names in football were at the awards dinner.
Giorgio Armani is one of the most famous names in fashion.
He is yet to become a household name (=someone who everyone has heard of).
personality an entertainer or sports player who is famous and often appears in the newspapers, on television etc. – used especially in the following phrases:
Many advertisers use TV personalities to promote their products.
He was chosen as sports personality of the year.
superstar an extremely famous performer, especially a musician or film actor:
The film made Tom Cruise an international superstar.
legend someone who is famous and admired for being extremely good at doing something – used especially about people who are at the end of a long career or who have died:
blues legend John Lee Hooker
Jane Fonda is the daughter of film legend Henry Fonda.
great [usually plural] someone who was one of the best players or performers that there have ever been:
He was one of the all-time soccer greats.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

great
ɡreɪt
See: think a great deal of

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲