great

adjective

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\ ˈgrāt

, Southern also ˈgre(ə)t \

Definition of great

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : notably large in size : huge all creatures great and small

b : of a kind characterized by relative largeness —used in plant and animal names the great horned owl

c : elaborate, ample great detail

2a : large in number or measure : numerous great multitudes

b : predominant the great majority

3 : remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness great bloodshed

4 —used as a generalized term of approval had a great timeIt was just great.

5a : eminent, distinguished a great poet

b : aristocratic, grand great ladies

c : chief or preeminent over others —often used in titles Lord Great Chamberlain

6 : markedly superior in character or quality especially : noble great of soul

7a : remarkably skilled great at tennis

b : marked by enthusiasm : keen great on science fiction

8 : more remote in a family relationship by a single generation than a specified relative great-grandfather

9 : long continued a great while

10 : principal, main a reception in the great hall

11 : full of emotion great with anger

great

adverb

Definition of great (Entry 2 of 3)

: in a great manner : well Things are going great.

great

noun

plural great or greats

Definition of great (Entry 3 of 3)

: an outstandingly superior or skillful person a tribute to the greats of baseball

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about great

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Examples of great in a Sentence

Adjective all creatures great and small The project will require a great amount of time and money. The building was restored at great expense. a great quantity of fish The low cost of these products gives them great appeal. There is a very great need for reform. They're in no great hurry to finish. There is a great demand for his services. an actress of great charm Is there any love greater than that between parent and child? Adverb We had some problems at first, but now things are going just great. Keep up the good work. You're doing great!

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective All of those other tools seem great, but maybe the best way to remove snow and ice from the windshield is not to have snow and ice on the windshield in the first place. — Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, "These 5 Unconventional Ice and Snow Scrapers Are Just in Time for the Snow," 15 Feb. 2021 As perhaps the second-most conservative member of a Democratic Senate caucus that can’t afford to lose a single vote to pass its agenda, Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema has a great deal of leverage. — Alex Pareene, The New Republic, "Call Kyrsten Sinema’s Bluff," 13 Feb. 2021 In the end, Amazon chooses the suburbs of the nation’s capital—already one of the wealthiest areas in the country—and walks away having amassed a great deal of useful regional data provided by eager bidders who probably never stood a chance. — Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, "The One-Click Curse," 12 Feb. 2021 There were trips to Leo's Pizza and a local bar that had a great deal on tacos. — Freep.com, "Support quality local journalism like this by becoming a subscriber.," 12 Feb. 2021 Had nothing but great things to say about coach Thibs and the team, the organization, the city. — Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, "Here's what Detroit Pistons are looking for from new point guard Dennis Smith Jr.," 11 Feb. 2021 Snow amounts may vary a great deal over shorter distances. — Washington Post, "A pasty snow may fall heavily Sunday morning in D.C. area," 6 Feb. 2021 The physics community has learned a great deal about the universe from massive terrestrial gravitational wave experiments like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and its European counterpart Virgo. — Adam Mann, Scientific American, "Galaxy-Size Gravitational-Wave Detector Hints at Exotic Physics," 3 Feb. 2021 As a result, Playhouse Square is not seeking a great deal of attention for the upcoming centennials of its five principal stages. — Steven Litt, cleveland, "Playhouse Square’s big five theaters reaching century mark while closed in a pandemic," 31 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Danielle Kang played great, tying her career low with an 8-under 63 and protecting her lead Saturday in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. — Jeff Babineau, ajc, "Jessica Korda with 60 moves within 2 shots of Danielle Kang," 23 Jan. 2021 Danielle Kang played great, tying her career low with an 8-under 63 and protecting her lead Saturday in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. — Jeff Babineau, Star Tribune, "Jessica Korda with 60 moves within 2 shots of Danielle Kang," 23 Jan. 2021 For much of his first varsity season, Samuel played great. — Chris Dabe, NOLA.com, "Dabe: State runner-up Karr has been here before; loss will not slow Cougar football machine," 30 Dec. 2020 Cincinnati’s defense played great against Pittsburgh on Monday, but the Texans’ offense has too much firepower. — Los Angeles Times, "NFL Week 16 picks: Rams defeat Seahawks; Packers edge Titans," 25 Dec. 2020 Some of today's best looks are a mix of not-too-extreme styling, great-looking color mixing and just a touch of flair. — Arkansas Online, "OPINION | MALE CALL: Skinny styles moving back to more tailored business look," 18 Jan. 2021 Also, scalp exfoliators containing physical exfoliants like sea salt work great to remove the debris and buildup that often accumulate on an oily scalp, says Henry. — Julie Ricevuto, Allure, "The Science of Beauty: The Complete Guide to Scalp Care," 17 Dec. 2020 The Grocer's Table First-time restaurateur Lindsay Pohlad has a hit on her hands with this great-looking and quality-obsessed destination, a cafe/bakery/market/wine bar combination. — Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, "12 notable Twin Cities area restaurant openings in 2020," 16 Dec. 2020 Nordstrom’s Bliss throw ($39.50-$49) benefits Operation Warm, a nonprofit organization that gives high-quality, great-looking winter coats to 300,000 children each year. — oregonlive, "Gifts that make a difference: These merchants give back to worthy causes and you can too," 15 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020 The teams held a moment of silence before the game for Diego Maradona, the Argentine great who died earlier this week. — Chronicle News Services, SFChronicle.com, "U.S. women beat Netherlands 2-0 in World Cup rematch," 27 Nov. 2020 The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020 The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020 The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020 The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020 The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020 The right-handers would often talk, the 24-year-old Flaherty soaking up advice from the great who wore No. 45. — NBC News, "Bob Gibson, fierce Hall of Fame ace for Cardinals, dies at 84," 3 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'great.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.