great

The word “great” means very large in size, extent, or degree. In plain terms, big, excellent, or important, depending on context — one of the most flexible words in English.

“Great” is pronounced GRAYT (/ˈɡɹeɪt/ in IPA).

Here is “great” used in a sentence: “They crossed a great expanse of desert before reaching the coast.”

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

The opposite of “great” — its antonyms — are tiny, mediocre and ordinary.

“Great” is an adjective.

The word “great” comes from Old English. From Old English grēat, meaning "big, thick, coarse" — related to modern German gross and Dutch groot.

“Great” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

'Big' usually describes physical size in a plain, everyday way, as in 'a big house.' 'Great' can mean very large in size, but also large in extent, degree, or importance, and it often carries admiration, as in 'great courage' or 'a great achievement.' 'Great' is broader and frequently more formal or emphatic than 'big.'

It can mean either, which is why context matters. In 'a great distance' or 'great difficulty,' it means very large in size or degree. In 'a great film' or 'a great idea,' it means excellent or admirable. The shared thread is intensity, something notable well beyond the ordinary.

Often, but not always. When it means excellent or admirable, as in 'a great performance,' it is clearly positive. But in its size sense it is neutral and can describe unwelcome things too, as in 'great danger' or 'great sadness.' There, 'great' simply signals a large degree, good or bad.

'A great crowd filled the square' describes a very large number of people. 'They travelled a great distance' stresses considerable length. 'She showed great patience' points to a high degree of a quality. In these examples, 'great' measures size, extent, or intensity rather than judging quality.