giant

1 of 2

noun

gi·​ant ˈjī-ənt How to pronounce giant (audio)
plural giants
1
: a legendary humanlike being of great stature and strength
2
a
: a living being of great size
b
: a person of extraordinary powers
3
: something unusually large or powerful
4
astronomy : a star of high luminosity and relatively great mass and size
a red giant
As it exhausts its hydrogen fuel, changes in its interior trigger a transformation from a blue giant to a yellow supergiant in only a few hundred thousand years.James B. Kaler
compare dwarf sense 4a, supergiant
giantlike adjective

giant

2 of 2

adjective

: having extremely large size, proportion, or power

Examples of giant in a Sentence

Noun the land of the giants the Great Pyramids of Egypt are giants among the world's architectural wonders Adjective a giant-size box of detergent the giant sycamore tree that dwarfs our house is almost 250 years old
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
After reviewing former Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen’s explanation of his abrupt resignation, a Hamilton County judge has agreed to block attorneys’ attempts to question the long-time head of the supermarket giant about his departure from the retailer in open court. Alexander Coolidge, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025 The fine is certainly a drop in the bucket for the entertainment giant, but the corrective measure is certainly a win for data privacy. Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The Mesozoic era was classically seen as a time when giant beasts ruled the skies, seas, and land. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025 All of that changed when his film Footloose came out and was a giant hit, sending him overnight to the other side of the velvet rope. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for giant

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English giaunt, from Anglo-French geant, from Latin gigant-, gigas, from Greek

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of giant was in the 13th century

Cite this Entry

“Giant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giant. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

giant

1 of 2 noun
gi·​ant ˈjī-ənt How to pronounce giant (audio)
1
: a very large and strong being of legend
2
: a person or thing that is very large or powerful

giant

2 of 2 adjective
: much larger or more powerful than ordinary

More from Merriam-Webster on giant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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