Great — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun /ˈgrāt/

Meaning & Definition of Great

Great (adjective)

  1. notably large in size, huge
  2. of a kind characterized by relative largeness —used in plant and animal names
  3. elaborate, ample

Great (adverb)

  1. in a great manner, well

Great (noun)

  1. an outstandingly superior or skillful person

Great (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. of the very best kind

    "this cake is great!"

    similar: A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (chiefly British), boss (slang), brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool (slang), corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope (slang), down (slang), dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous (slang), fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, gone (slang), grand, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype (slang), immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one, numero uno, out-of-sight (slang), par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat (slang), prime, primo (slang), prize, prizewinning, quality, radical (slang), righteous (slang), sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping (chiefly British), unsurpassed, wizard (chiefly British), wonderful, out of this world, too much
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional
    opposite: atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched
    near: bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

  2. having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor

    "one of the great anthropologists"

    similar: accomplished, ace, adept, compleat, complete, consummate, crack, crackerjack, educated, experienced, expert, good, master, masterful, masterly, practiced, professed, proficient, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso
    related: adroit, clever, deft, dexterous, handy, slick, sure-handed, gifted, talented, polished, refined, effective, effectual, efficient, workmanlike, able, capable, competent, employable, fit, fitted, habile, qualified, knowledgeable, schooled, taught, trained, tutored, all-around, well-rounded, long-term, old, multiskilled, multitalented
    opposite: amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful
    near: incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak, artless, crude, rude, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, talentless, ungifted, untalented, ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained, untutored, beginning, green, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned, untested, untried, would-be, primitive, rough, unpolished, awkward, clumsy, ham-fisted, ham-handed, heavy-handed

  3. having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature

    "a great humanitarian"

    "great acts of charity"

    similar: big, chivalrous, elevated, gallant, greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, magnanimous, natural, noble, sublime
    related: ennobled, exalted, glorified, heroic, honorable, valiant, venerable, worthy, knightly, princely, regal, inspiring, moving, numinous, uplifting, august, magnificent, majestic
    opposite: base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low
    near: sordid, squalid, vile, wretched, abominable, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hateful, offensive, repulsive, ugly, vicious, dastardly, dirty, lousy, sorry, little, mean, narrow, small-minded, degrading, discreditable, humiliating, ignominious, coarse, crude, vulgar

  4. lasting for a considerable time

    "haven't seen them in a great while"

    similar: extended, far, lengthy, long, long-drawn-out, long-lived, long-term, marathon
    related: aeonian, endless, everlasting, interminable, persistent, longish, overlong, prolonged, protracted, permanent, all-day, all-night, multiday, multiyear
    opposite: brief, little, mini, short, shortish, short-lived, short-term
    near: abrupt, sudden, abbreviated, condensed, curtailed, shortened, ephemeral, fleeting, momentary, transient, transitory, impermanent, short-range

  5. of a size greater than average of its kind

    "saw a great moose calmly walking through our backyard"

    similar: big, biggish, boxcar, bulky, considerable, goodly, grand, handsome, hefty, hulking, husky, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, substantial, tidy, voluminous
    related: astronomical, Brobdingnagian, bumper, Bunyanesque, cavernous, colossal, cosmic, cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, gigantic, gross, hellacious, herculean, heroic, Himalayan, huge, humongous, immense, jumbo, king-size, leviathan, major, mammoth, massive, monolithic, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, pharaonic, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, super, super-duper, supersized, titanic, tremendous, vast, vasty, walloping, whacking, whopping, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, immoderate, inordinate, abundant, ample, appreciable, copious, plentiful, fat, thick, capacious, commodious, roomy, spacious
    opposite: bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy, small, smallish, undersized
    near: diminutive, half-pint, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little bitty, microminiature, microscopic, mini, miniature, minuscule, minute, pint-size, pocket-size, pygmy, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee, petite, slender, slight, slim, thin

  6. showing urgent desire or interest

    "she's great on any type of sport that requires endurance"

    similar: agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, bonkers (informal), crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, gaga, geeked (slang), greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, nuts, pumped, raring, solicitous, stoked (slang), thirsty, voracious, wild, champing at the bit, chomping at the bit
    related: engaged, interested, happy, hung up, obsessed, ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, pining, breathless, restive, restless, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing
    opposite: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic
    near: casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling

  7. coming before all others in importance

    "regards global warming as the great issue of the day"

    similar: arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, foremost, grand, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign, supreme
    related: distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, top, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, celebrated, famed, famous, renowned
    opposite: last, least
    near: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

  8. of high birth, rank, or station

    "a descendant of one of the great families of Philadelphia"

    similar: aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, highborn, highbred, noble, patrician, silk-stocking, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn
    related: high, lofty, superior, elevated, ennobled, exalted, gentlemanly, kingly, knightly, ladylike, lordly, princely, queenly, regal, royal, high-level, senior
    opposite: baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, low, lower-class, lowly, mean, nonaristocratic, plebeian, ungenteel
    near: inferior, knavish, bastard, illegitimate, ordinary, plain, abased, degraded, junior, subordinate

Great (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in a pleasing way

    "the game was going great for the home team"

    similar: agreeably, charmingly, delectably, deliciously, delightfully, dreamily, enchantingly, enjoyably, favorably, felicitously, fetchingly, gloriously, gratifyingly, nicely, palatably, pleasantly, pleasingly, pleasurably, prettily, satisfyingly, splendidly, sweetly, swimmingly, welcomely, well, winningly
    related: finely, grandly, magnificently, advantageously, helpfully, blessedly, fortunately, happily, luckily, excellently, superbly, marvelously, sensationally, wonderfully, attractively, beautifully, handsomely, appealingly, appetizingly, enticingly, invitingly, temptingly
    opposite: badly, disagreeably, ill, unpleasantly
    near: abominably, appallingly, awfully, dreadfully, horrendously, horribly, horridly, shockingly, sickeningly, terribly, vilely, annoyingly, disgustingly, distressingly, irritatingly, vexingly

Related Entry: Great divide (noun)

Great divide is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for great divide, not for great.

  1. the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities

    "many religions claim to know what happens after we cross the great divide"

    similar: curtains, death, decease, demise, dissolution, doom, end, exit, expiration, expiry, fate, grave, passage, passing, quietus, sleep
    related: casualty, fatality, martyrdom, self-destruction, self-murder, self-slaughter, suicide, annihilation, destruction, ending, extermination, ruin, assassination, execution, killing, massacre, slaughter
    opposite: birth, nativity
    near: existence, life, creation, genesis, origination, rise

Related Entry: Great house (noun)

Great house is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for great house, not for great.

  1. as in house, manor house

    similar: castle, château, estate, hacienda, hall, manor, manor house, manse, mansion, palace, villa, abode, domicile, dwelling, habitation, hearth, home, house, lodging(s), pad, place, housing, nest, quarter(s), residency, roof, salon, suite, town house, country house, countryseat, aerie, penthouse, showplace

Related Entry: Great houses (noun)

Great houses is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for great houses, not for great.

  1. as in houses, manor houses

    similar: castles, châteaus, estates, haciendas, halls, manor houses, manors, manses, mansions, palaces, villas, abodes, domiciles, dwellings, habitations, hearths, homes, houses, lodgings, pads, places, housings, nests, quarters, residencies, roofs, salons, suites, town houses, country houses, countryseats, aeries, penthouses, showplaces

Related Entry: Great power (noun)

Great power is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for great power, not for great.

  1. as in power, sea power

    similar: power, sea power, superpower, world power, commonwealth, country, land, sovereignty, state, city-state, microstate, ministate, nation-state, domain, dominion, empire, kingdom, realm, republic, duchy, dukedom, emirate, principality, seigniory, sultanate, democracy, dictatorship, monarchy, monocracy, oligarchy, sovereign, theocracy, client state, colony, condominium, dependency, mandate, province, settlement, soil, trust territory, fatherland, homeland, motherland, welfare state

Related Entry: Great powers (noun)

Great powers is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for great powers, not for great.

  1. as in powers, sea powers

    similar: powers, sea powers, superpowers, world powers, commonwealths, countries, lands, sovereignties, states, city-states, microstates, ministates, nation-states, domains, dominions, empires, kingdoms, realms, republics, duchies, dukedoms, emirates, principalities, seigniories, sultanates, democracies, dictatorships, monarchies, monocracies, oligarchies, sovereigns, theocracies, client states, colonies, condominiums, dependencies, mandates, provinces, settlements, soil, trust territories, fatherlands, homelands, motherlands, welfare states

Related Entry: Great divides (noun)

Great divides is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for great divides, not for great.

  1. the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities

    "many religions claim to know what happens after we cross the great divide"

    similar: curtains, deaths, deceases, demises, dissolutions, dooms, ends, exits, expirations, expiries, fates, graves, passages, passings, quietuses, sleeps
    related: casualties, fatalities, martyrdoms, self-destructions, self-murders, self-slaughters, suicides, annihilations, destructions, endings, exterminations, ruins, assassinations, executions, killings, massacres, slaughters
    opposite: births, nativities
    near: existences, lives, creations, geneses, originations, rises

Related Entry: Go (verb)

Go is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for go, not for great.

  1. to move forward along a course

    "everything is going according to our plans"

    similar: advance, come, come along, do, fare, forge, get along, get on, go along, go off, march, pace, proceed, progress, gain ground
    related: accelerate, fast-forward, speed, approach, near, journey, pass, repair, run, travel, wend, actuate, drive, impel, propel, push, take out
    opposite: remain, stand, stay, stop
    near: arrest, balk, block, check, detain, halt, hinder, hold back, impede, nip, obstruct, slow (down or up), stem, repress, retard, stunt, suppress, delay, interrupt, stall, cramp, hamper, inhibit, cease, let up, pause, regress, wait

  2. to leave a place often for another

    "will go on vacation at the end of the year"

    "decided it would be better to go before she got any angrier"

    similar: bail, bail out, begone, book (slang), bugger off (British slang), bug off, bug out, buzz (off), clear off (chiefly British), clear out, cut out, depart, dig out, exit, get, get off, go off, move, pack (up or off), part, peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, run along, sally (forth), scarper (British), shove (off), step (along), take off, vamoose, walk out, beat it, hit the road, pull stakes, take a hike, take a powder
    related: set out, start, strike out, abscond, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, mizzle (chiefly British), run away, scat, scram, skip, go out, light out, step out, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate, emigrate, adjourn, remove, retire, retreat, withdraw
    opposite: arrive, come, show up, turn up
    near: abide, dwell, lodge, remain, settle, stay, tarry, approach, close, near, hit, land, reach

  3. to be fitting or proper

    "at Mardi Gras, just about anything goes"

    similar: befit, beseem (archaic), do, fit (archaic), serve, suit, fill the bill
    related: satisfy, suffice, function, work

  4. to be in agreement on every point

    "your account of how the fire started doesn't go with what she said"

    similar: accord, agree, answer, check, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, harmonize, jibe, rhyme, sort, square, tally, fall in with
    related: equal, match, parallel, align, line up, register
    opposite: differ (from), disagree (with)
    near: contradict, dispute, gainsay, negate, nullify, clash, conflict, jar

  5. to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction

    "the highway goes right along the river"

    similar: bear, extend, head, lead, lie, run
    related: cross, cut, pass, course, follow, span, traverse

  6. to eventually have as a state or quality

    "she goes crazy on the dance floor when they start playing 1980s pop"

    "the room went dark"

    similar: become, come, get, grow, run, turn, wax
    related: alter, change, metamorphose, modify, mutate, transfigure, transform, transmute
    near: abide, be, continue, linger, remain, stay

  7. to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure

    "watched the building go after the demolition crew detonated the charges"

    similar: buckle, cave (in), collapse, crumple, founder, give, go out, implode, tumble, yield, give way
    related: deflate, flatten, melt, melt down, break, break down, conk (out), crash, die, fail, give out, stall, burst, shatter, smash, splinter, split, crack, crumble, pop, snap
    near: inflate, rise, swell

  8. to have or be in a usual or proper place

    "these plates go in this cabinet"

    similar: belong
    related: place, stay, fit (in)

  9. to lose bodily strength or vigor

    "when you get old, your eyesight starts to go"

    similar: decay, droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither
    related: break down, wear out, yield, degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down
    near: convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate, gain

  10. to make one's way through, across, or over

    "I went the length of the street before finding an empty parking space"

    similar: course, cover, cross, cut (across), follow, navigate, pass (over), perambulate, peregrinate, proceed (along), track, transit, travel, traverse
    related: hike, traipse, tramp, tread, walk, ride, run, crisscross

  11. to occur within a continuous range of variation

    "selling prices for houses in that neighborhood generally go between one and two million"

    similar: range, run, vary
    related: alternate, fluctuate, move, shift, change, mutate, extend, reach, stretch, sweep

  12. to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event

    "to play in this game of poker, you have to be willing to go at least five dollars per round"

    similar: bet, gamble, lay, play, put, stake, wager
    related: bid, offer, adventure, chance, hazard, speculate, venture, endanger, imperil, jeopardize

  13. to have in mind as a purpose or goal

    "I didn't go to fire the gun—it just went off"

    similar: aim, allow (chiefly Southern & Midland), aspire, calculate, contemplate, design, intend, look, mean, meditate, plan, propose, purport, purpose, figure on
    related: dream, hope, wish, consider, debate, mull (over), ponder, attempt, endeavor, strive, struggle, try, plot, scheme, accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, perform

  14. to come to an end

    "we were having so much fun that the evening just came and went"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

  15. to have enough money for

    "I think I can go for the new car after all"

    similar: afford, swing
    related: cover, expend, finance, outlay, pay (for), pony up, spring (for), pick up, purchase, take, acquire, get, obtain, procure, secure, bid, offer, bankroll, endow, subsidize, underwrite

  16. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "I can't go the smell of that rotting food for one more minute"

    similar: abide, absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  17. to stop living

    "her grandmother went peacefully last night"

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, die, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, kick in (slang), kick off (slang), part, pass (on), pass away, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

  18. to turn out as planned or desired

    "we tried very hard to get the food cooperative to go, but it never really worked out"

    similar: click, come off, deliver, go over, pan out, succeed, work out, bear fruit, catch fire, deliver the goods, do the trick, go like clockwork
    related: catch on, flourish, prosper, thrive, cook, percolate
    opposite: bomb, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, wash out
    near: languish, flounder, struggle, decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane, crash, crater, crumble, flame out, choke, crack up, miscarry, misfire, fall down, go under, implode, self-destruct

Related Entry: Go (for) (verb)

Go (for) is a different word from Great. The synonyms below are for go (for), not for great.

  1. to have a price of

    "those cars go for $25,000"

    similar: bring, cost, fetch, run, sell (for)
    related: list (for), amount (to), come (to), total, command, exact, ask, demand

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Great

The most common words with a similar meaning to Great:

Slang: boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous, gone, hype, out-of-sight, phat, primo, radical, righteous
Chiefly British: bonny, topping, wizard
Informal: bonkers
A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, grand, groovy, heavenly, high-class

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Great

Words with the opposite meaning of Great:

atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched, amateur, amateurish, inexperienced, inexpert, jackleg, unprofessional, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful, base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low, brief, little, mini, short, shortish

Related Words for Great

acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional, adroit, clever, deft, dexterous, handy, sure-handed, gifted, talented, polished, refined

Near Antonyms of Great

bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate, incapable, incompetent, inept, unable, unfit, unfitted, unqualified, weak, artless, crude, rude, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, talentless, ungifted, untalented, ignorant, unschooled, untaught, untrained

Word Forms of Great

Inflections: greats

Origin & Etymology of Great

Middle English grete, from Old English grēat; akin to Old High German grōz large

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Great

Words & Phrases Containing Great

great ape, great auk, great-aunt, Great Bear, great blue heron, great circle, Great Dane

Frequently Asked Questions about Great

What does "Great" mean?

"Great" means notably large in size, huge. As an an adjective, an adverb and a noun, it is defined as: notably large in size, huge. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Great"?

Other words for "Great" include A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip and blue-ribbon. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Great" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Great"?

There are 464 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Great". Common alternatives include A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo and bonny.

What is a slang word for "Great"?

Slang words for "Great" include boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous and gone.

What is the opposite of "Great"?

Antonyms of "Great" include atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten and terrible. Near antonyms include bad, inferior, low-grade and substandard.

How do you use "Great" in a sentence?

Examples of "Great" in a sentence: "this cake is great!"; "one of the great anthropologists"; "a great humanitarian".

Is "Great" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Great" can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Great" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Great" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.