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.
The following adjectives are used to indicate how small or large something is. They are arranged from 'smallest' to 'largest'.
| Noun | 1. | large - a garment size for a large person size - the property resulting from being one of a series of graduated measurements (as of clothing); "he wears a size 13 shoe" |
| Adj. | 1. | large - 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. | large - fairly large or important in effect; influential; "played a large role in the negotiations" significant, important - important in effect or meaning; "a significant change in tax laws"; "a significant change in the Constitution"; "a significant contribution"; "significant details"; "statistically significant" | |
| 3. | large - ostentatiously lofty in style; "a man given to large talk"; "tumid political prose"rhetorical - given to rhetoric, emphasizing style at the expense of thought; "mere rhetorical frippery" | |
| 4. | large - 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" | |
| 5. | large - 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. | large - having broad power and range and scope; "taking the large view"; "a large effect"; "a large sympathy" comprehensive - including all or everything; "comprehensive coverage"; "a comprehensive history of the revolution"; "a comprehensive survey"; "a comprehensive education" | |
| 7. | large - 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. | large - at a distance, wide of something (as of a mark) |
| 2. | large - with the wind abaft the beam; "a ship sailing large" | |
| 3. | large - in a boastful manner; "he talked big all evening" |