big

big

adjective

Definition of BIG

1

having great meaning or lasting effect <there will be a big meeting to resolve the issue>

Synonyms big, consequential, earthshaking, earth-shattering, eventful, historic, major, material, meaningful, momentous, monumental, much, significant, substantial, tectonic, weighty

Related Words decisive, fatal, fateful, strategic; earnest, grave, heavy, serious, sincere; distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable; valuable, worthwhile, worthy; distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, preeminent, prestigious; famous, notorious, renowned; all-important, central, critical, crucial, essential, key, pivotal, seminal, vital

Near Antonyms paltry, petty, worthless; anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown

Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, minor, negligible, slight, small, trifling, trivial, unimportant

2

of a size greater than average of its kind <bought a big apple to quench his raging appetite>

Synonyms big, biggish, boxcar, bulky, considerable, goodly, grand, great, handsome, hefty, hulking, husky, largish, outsize (also outsized), oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), substantial, tidy, voluminous

Related Words astronomical (also astronomic), Brobdingnagian, bumper, Bunyanesque, cavernous, colossal, cosmic (also cosmical), cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, gigantic, gross, hellacious, herculean, heroic (also heroical), Himalayan, huge, humongous (also humungous), immense, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), 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

Near Antonyms diminutive, half-pint, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, little-bitty, microminiature, microscopic (also microscopical), mini, miniature, minuscule, minute, pint-size (or pint-sized), pocket-size (also pocket-sized), pygmy, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee; petite, slender, slight, slim, thin

Antonyms bantam, dinky, dwarf, dwarfish, little, puny, shrimpy, small, smallish, undersized (also undersize)

3

having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature <how big of you to give your subordinates most of the credit>

Synonyms big, chivalrous, elevated, gallant, great, greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, magnanimous, natural, sublime

Related Words ennobled, exalted, glorified; heroic (also heroical), honorable, valiant, venerable, worthy; knightly, princely, regal; inspiring, moving, numinous, uplifting; august, magnificent, majestic

Near Antonyms 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

Antonyms base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low

4

having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor) <inexperienced wine drinkers should not start with such a big wine>

Synonyms big, concentrated, full, heady, lusty, muscular, plush, potent, rich, robust, strong

Related Words heavy; straight, undiluted, unmixed; high-octane, high-test; enriched, fortified; concentrated

Near Antonyms dilute, diluted, watered-down, watery

Antonyms delicate, light, mild, thin, thinned, weak, weakened

5

coming before all others in importance <the big story that year was the assassination of the president>

Synonyms arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supreme

Related Words 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 (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renowned

Near Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

Antonyms last, least

6

enjoying widespread favor or approval <jackets with very wide lapels were big that year>

Synonyms big, crowd-pleasing, du jour, faddish, faddy, fashionable, favorite, happening, hot, in, large, modish, pop, popularized, red-hot, vogue, voguish

Related Words semipopular; favorite, preferred, selected; desirable, liked, wanted; celebrated, famed, famous, noted, notorious, prominent, renowned, well-known; fabled, fabulous, legendary; leading, notable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable; important, significant

Near Antonyms washed-up; despised, detested, disliked, hated, rejected; insignificant, unimportant; indistinguished, unexceptional; anonymous, nameless, obscure, unknown; inconspicuous

Antonyms out, unfashionable, unpopular

7

containing unborn young within the body <a mare big with a foal>

Synonyms big, caught, enceinte, expectant, expecting, gone, gravid, heavy, quick [archaic]

Related Words parturient, prenatal; childbearing, gestational; brooding; conceiving, impregnated

Near Antonyms barren, infertile; aborting, miscarrying; delivered

Antonyms nonpregnant