grand

The word “grand” means impressively large, important, or magnificent. In plain terms, big and impressive — or, informally, just "fine" or "a thousand dollars/pounds" depending on context.

“Grand” is pronounced GRAND (/ˈɡɹænd/ in IPA).

Here is “grand” used in a sentence: “The hotel had a grand marble staircase in the lobby.”

Words with a similar meaning to “grand” include great, super-, supra-, hyper-, ultra- and uber-.

Depending on how it is used, “grand” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “grand” comes from Latin. From Old French grant/grand, from Latin grandis, meaning "full-grown" or "great.".

“Grand” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Grand” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: impressively large, important, or magnificent.

Grand is a compliment: it describes something genuinely large, splendid, or impressive. Grandiose is usually a criticism, suggesting something is showy or overblown, trying to seem more impressive than it deserves. A grand plan is admirable; a grandiose one is pretentious. The two look alike but pull in opposite directions.

A grand example might be a sweeping marble staircase, a stately country house, or a lavish state banquet. The word suits anything striking in scale or importance — a grand entrance, a grand piano, a grand cathedral. Each conveys a sense of magnificence that goes well beyond the ordinary.

Yes. Informally, 'a grand' means a thousand pounds or dollars, as in 'it cost five grand'. 'Grand' also appears in fixed phrases like 'grand total', meaning the complete final sum, and 'grand piano'. And it forms family words such as grandmother. Context makes the intended sense clear.

Generally yes. Describing something as grand usually expresses admiration for its size, importance, or splendour. It can occasionally carry a hint of irony, as in 'grand ideas' for schemes that are too ambitious, but on its own the word is warm and complimentary, unlike its cousin 'grandiose'.