Big vs. Great

Difference Between Big and Great

Bigadjective

Of great size, large.

Elephants are big animals, and they eat a lot.

Greatadjective

Relatively large in scale, size, extent, number (i. e. having many parts or members) or duration (i. e. relatively long); very big.

A great storm is approaching our shores.a great assemblya great wait

Bigadjective

(of an industry or other field) Thought to have undue influence.

There were concerns about the ethics of big science.

Greatadjective

Of larger size or more importance than others of its kind.

the great auk

Bigadjective

Popular.

That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.

Greatadjective

(qualifying nouns of family relationship) Involving more generations than the word qualified implies (from 1510s). [see Derived terms]

Bigadjective

(informal) Adult.

Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.

Greatadjective

Pregnant; large with young; full of.

great with childgreat with hope

Bigadjective

(informal) Fat.

Gosh, she is big!

Greatadjective

Intimate; familiar.

Bigadjective

(informal) Important or significant.

What's so big about that? I do it all the time.

Greatadjective

Extreme or more than usual.

great worry

Bigadjective

Enthusiastic (about).

I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.

Greatadjective

Of significant importance or consequence; important.

a great decision

Bigadjective

of (informal) Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.

That's very big of you, thank you!I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.

Greatadjective

(applied to actions, thoughts and feelings) Arising from or possessing idealism; admirable; superior; commanding; heroic; illustrious; eminent.

a great deeda great naturea great history

Bigadjective

(informal) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.

Whoa, Nadia has gotten pretty big since she hit puberty.

Greatadjective

Impressive or striking.

a great show of wealth

Bigadjective

Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.

She was big with child.

Greatadjective

Much in use; favoured.

Poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era.

Bigadjective

(informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns

You are a big liar.Why are you in such a big hurry?

Greatadjective

(applied to persons) Endowed with extraordinary powers; of exceptional talents or achievements; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; remarkable; strong; powerful; mighty; noble.

a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, writer etc.

Bigadjective

(of a city) populous

Greatadjective

Title referring to an important leader.

Alexander the Great

Bigadverb

In a loud manner.

Greatadjective

Doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale; active or enthusiastic.

What a great buffoon!He's not a great one for reading.a great walker

Bigadverb

In a boasting manner.

He's always talking big, but he never delivers.

Greatadjective

(often followed by 'at') Skilful or adroit.

a great carpenterYou are great at singing.

Bigadverb

In a large amount or to a large extent.

He won big betting on the croquet championship.

Greatadjective

(informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic (from 1848).

Dinner was great.

Bigadverb

On a large scale, expansively.

You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.

Greatadjective

Intensifying a word or expression, used in mild oaths.

a dirty great smack in the faceGreat Scott!

Bigadverb

Hard.

He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.

Greatinterjection

Expression of gladness and content about something.

Great! Thanks for the wonderful work.

Bignoun

Someone or something that is large in stature

Greatinterjection

sarcastic inversion thereof.

Oh, great! I just dumped all 500 sheets of the manuscript all over and now I have to put them back in order.

Bignoun

An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.

Greatnoun

A person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim.

Newton and Einstein are two of the greats of the history of science.

Bignoun

(as plural) The big leagues, big time.

Greatnoun

(music) The main division in a pipe organ, usually the loudest division.

Bignoun

One or more kinds of barley, especially six-rowed barley.

Greatadverb

very well in a very satisfactory manner

Those mechanical colored pencils work great because they don't have to be sharpened.

Bigverb

(transitive) To praise, recommend, or promote.

Greatadjective

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind;

a great juicy steaka great multitudethe great auka great old oaka great ocean linera great delay

Bigverb

to inhabit; occupy

Greatadjective

more than usual;

great expectationsgreat worry

Bigverb

to locate oneself

Greatadjective

(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation;

our distinguished professoran eminent scholara great statesman

Bigverb

to build; erect; fashion

Greatadjective

of major significance or importance;

a great work of artEinstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th century

Bigverb

to dwell; have a dwelling

Greatadjective

remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect;

a great crisishad a great stake in the outcome

Bigadjective

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent;

a large cityset out for the big citya large suma big (or large) barna large familybig businessesa big expenditurea large number of newspapersa big group of scientistslarge areas of the world

Greatadjective

very good;

he did a bully joba neat sports carhad a great time at the partyyou look simply smashing

Bigadjective

significant;

graduation was a big day in his life

Greatadjective

uppercase;

capital Agreat Amany medieval manuscripts are in majuscule script

Bigadjective

of very great significance;

deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decisiona momentous event

Greatadjective

marked by active interest and enthusiasm;

an avid sports fana great walkeran eager beaver

Bigadjective

conspicuous in position or importance;

a big figure in the movementbig man on campushe's very large in financial circlesa prominent citizen

Greatadjective

in an advanced stage of pregnancy;

was big with childwas great with child

Bigadjective

very intense;

a bad headachein a big ragehad a big (or bad) shocka bad earthquakea bad storm

Bigadjective

loud and firm;

a big voicebig bold piano sounds

Bigadjective

prodigious;

big spenderbig eaterheavy investor

Bigadjective

(of animals) fully developed;

an adult animala grown woman

Bigadjective

marked by intense physical force;

a big wind

Bigadjective

feeling self-importance;

too big for his britcheshad a swelled headhe was swelled with pride

Bigadjective

older brother or sister;

big sister

Bigadjective

exhibiting self-importance;

big talk

Bigadjective

generous and understanding and tolerant;

a heart big enough to hold no grudgesthat's very big of you to be so forgivinga large and generous spirita large heartmagnanimous toward his enemies

Bigadjective

given or giving freely;

was a big tipperthe bounteous goodness of Godbountiful complimentsa freehanded hosta handsome allowanceSaturday's child is loving and givinga liberal backer of the artsa munificent gifther fond and openhanded grandfather