Big, large, and great are used to talk about size. They can all be used in front of countable nouns, but only great can be used in front of uncountable nouns.
Big, large, and great can all be used to describe objects. Big is the word you usually use in conversation. Large is more formal. Great is used in stories to show that something is very impressive because of its size.
When you are describing amounts, you usually use large.
Be Careful!
Don't use 'big' to describe amounts. Don't say, for example, 'She made a very big amount of money'.
When you are describing feelings or reactions, you usually use great.
When surprise is a countable noun, you can use either big or great in front of it.
Don't use 'large' to describe feelings or reactions.
When you are describing a problem or danger, you use big or great.
Don't use 'large' to describe a problem or danger.
Great is used to say that a person or place is important or famous.
In conversation, you can use great and big together in order to emphasize the size of something. You always put great first.
Be Careful!
You can say that someone is in great pain, but you don't usually use 'big', 'large', or 'great' to describe an illness. Instead you use adjectives such as bad, terrible, or severe.
| Imperative |
|---|
| big |
| big |
| Adj. | 1. | big - above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent; "a large city"; "set out for the big city"; "a large sum"; "a big (or large) barn"; "a large family"; "big businesses"; "a big expenditure"; "a large number of newspapers"; "a big group of scientists"; "large areas of the world" |
| 2. | big - significant; "graduation was a big day in his life"colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech | |
| 3. | big - very intense; "a bad headache"; "in a big rage"; "had a big (or bad) shock"; "a bad earthquake"; "a bad storm"intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense" | |
| 4. | big - loud and firm; "a big voice"; "big bold piano sounds"loud - characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity; "a group of loud children"; "loud thunder"; "her voice was too loud"; "loud trombones" | |
| 5. | big - conspicuous in position or importance; "a big figure in the movement"; "big man on campus"; "he's very large in financial circles"; "a prominent citizen"conspicuous - obvious to the eye or mind; "a tower conspicuous at a great distance"; "wore conspicuous neckties"; "made herself conspicuous by her exhibitionistic preening" | |
| 6. | big - prodigious; "big spender"; "big eater"; "heavy investor"intemperate - excessive in behavior; "intemperate rage" | |
| 7. | big - exhibiting self-importance; "big talk"proud - feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride; "proud parents"; "proud of his accomplishments"; "a proud moment"; "proud to serve his country"; "a proud name"; "proud princes" | |
| 8. | big - feeling self-importance; "too big for his britches"; "had a swelled head"; "he was swelled with pride"proud - feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride; "proud parents"; "proud of his accomplishments"; "a proud moment"; "proud to serve his country"; "a proud name"; "proud princes" | |
| 9. | big - (of animals) fully developed; "an adult animal"; "a grown woman"animal, animate being, beast, creature, fauna, brute - a living organism characterized by voluntary movement mature - having reached full natural growth or development; "a mature cell" | |
| 10. | big - marked by intense physical force; "a big wind"heavy - of great intensity or power or force; "a heavy blow"; "the fighting was heavy"; "heavy seas" | |
| 11. | big - generous and understanding and tolerant; "a heart big enough to hold no grudges"; "that's very big of you to be so forgiving"; "a large and generous spirit"; "a large heart"; "magnanimous toward his enemies" generous - not petty in character and mind; "unusually generous in his judgment of people" | |
| 12. | big - given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather"generous - willing to give and share unstintingly; "a generous donation" | |
| 13. | big - in an advanced stage of pregnancy; "was big with child"; "was great with child"pregnant - carrying developing offspring within the body or being about to produce new life | |
| Adv. | 1. | big - extremely well; "his performance went over big" |
| 2. | big - in a boastful manner; "he talked big all evening" | |
| 3. | big - on a grand scale; "think big" small - on a small scale; "think small" | |
| 4. | big - in a major way; "the play failed big at the box office" |