great

1 of 3

adjective

ˈgrāt

Southern also ˈgre(ə)t

Synonyms of great next

: notably large in size : huge

all creatures great and small

: of a kind characterized by relative largeness

—used in plant and animal names

the great horned owl

: elaborate, ample

great detail

: large in number or measure : numerous

great multitudes

: predominant

the great majority

: remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness

great bloodshed

—used as a generalized term of approval

had a great timeIt was just great.

: eminent, distinguished

a great poet

: aristocratic, grand

great ladies

: chief or preeminent over others

—often used in titles

Lord Great Chamberlain

: markedly superior in character or quality

especially : noble

great of soul

: remarkably skilled

great at tennis

: marked by enthusiasm : keen

great on science fiction

: more remote in a family relationship by a single generation than a specified relative

great-grandfather

: long continued

a great while

: principal, main

a reception in the great hall

: full of emotion

great with anger

great

2 of 3

adverb

: in a great manner : well

Things are going great.

great

3 of 3

noun

plural great or greats

: an outstandingly superior or skillful person

a tribute to the greats of baseball

Example Sentences

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! See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The three-story brick townhouse saw a great deal of activity: while the second floor of his home housed Woodson’s office and library, the basement served as a make-shift archives. —

Regina Cole, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 There was a great deal of typing, finishing, and then stashing away the results. —

David Remnick, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2023 There remains a great deal of pride in these ships among those who work on and around them, as was apparent during a visit last month to the Mayport base near Jacksonville. —

Eric Lipton, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2023 After what one imagines was a great deal of humming and hawing, it is decided that this is a most agreeable tipple and deserves a name. —

Jason O'bryan, Robb Report, 4 Feb. 2023 Waithe has had a great deal of success at the film festival over the years. —

Angelique Jackson, Variety, 3 Feb. 2023 Due to the nature of inventory cleanout, sizes and color options may be limited, so don't wait to make a move on a great deal. —

Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2023 These bouts, which have persisted into my 30s, have left me with a great deal of insecurity about my bare skin. —

Jessica Ourisman, Allure, 2 Feb. 2023 The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers Love a great deal? —

Cassie Shortsleeve, Travel + Leisure, 2 Feb. 2023

Adverb

Buy It: 365 by Whole Foods Market Laundry Stain Remover ($7, available in store at Whole Foods Market) Best Scented Laundry Pod These pods left laundry smelling great without leaving any stains behind. —

Katy Kiick Condon, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2023 Trap plants outside the garden — meadow rue works great — are a good idea. —

Jeff Lowenfels | Alaska Gardening And Growing, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Mar. 2023 Pawl Ruff walks well on a leash, is potty-trained and does great at bath time. —

Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2023 Everything to do with Sam and Henry and Ellie and Joel worked great, but everything else felt sloppy and tacked on, like pieces glued together that didn’t quite fit. —

Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023 The Intuos Pro works great across all the monitors. —

Dallas News, 12 Jan. 2023 There are a lot of great-looking Mustangs from this era, but this one-of-a-kind coupé is one of the most attractive. —

Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Dec. 2022 Napier ended up with nine points and played great defensively, complementing the dominant play of big man Bradley Curtis, who had 34 points and 15 rebounds. —

Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 17 Feb. 2023 For example, one night’s chicken satay will taste great over a salad the following day. —

Alisa Bowman, SELF, 23 Dec. 2022

Noun

And as the late great Godard might have signed off: End of Oscars. —

Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2023 Adding a free agent such as the Bucs’ Jamel Dean or Steelers’ Cameron Sutton could make a good secondary great. —

Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Mar. 2023 College football, faith and the echoes of one man’s advice mingled Thursday night as Southern Methodist University football great Jerry LeVias recounted the pivotal moments in his life to listeners at The Dallas Morning News. —

Dallas News, 3 Mar. 2023 While Biden is doing a great of pursuing a weird energy policy, Sunak isn't far behind. —

Simon Constable, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023 In town, the Olympic great's pink-marble mausoleum lures few tourists. —

John Phillips, Car and Driver, 9 Jan. 2023 But the Swiss great ended his career last month because of a persistent knee injury. —

Arkansas Online, 25 Oct. 2022 Following the news of his death, a number of stars took to social media to mourn the loss of the hip-hop great. —

Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2022 Asakura, who usually weighs about 165 pounds, is more Mayweather’s size than the last opponent the American great met in Japan three years ago. —

oregonlive, 24 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'great.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.