1
2
a
: large in number or measure
great multitudes
a great quantity of fish
made a great amount of money
b
: predominant
the great majority
3
: remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness
great bloodshed
caused great damage
Things could be a great deal worse. [=things could be much worse]
4
a
—used as a generalized term of approval
had a great time
It was just great.
You look great.
Great work, everybody!
b
—sometimes used ironically to describe something bad or upsetting
Oh, great! Now we're lost.
5
a
: 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
7
a
: remarkably skilled
great at tennis
b
: marked by enthusiasm : keen
a great admirer
great on science fiction
She's a great one for golf. [=she enjoys golf very much]
8
: more remote in a family relationship by a single generation than a specified relative
great-grandfather
9
: long continued
a great while
11
: full of emotion
great with anger
plural great or greats
: an outstandingly superior or skillful person
a tribute to the greats of baseball
Synonyms of great
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
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
The discrepancies are greatest in parts of Southeast Asia, Africa and the Pacific.
—Marcos Magaña, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Jay Woods, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.
—Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for great
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Scott, founder of payment system Paywaz, said they were drawn by the scale of opportunity in the US, especially for entrepreneurship, with greater capital, specialist talent, larger markets, and faster networks than in New Zealand.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
The discrepancies are greatest in parts of Southeast Asia, Africa and the Pacific.
—Marcos Magaña, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Adverb
These should be great longer-term entry points.
—Jay Woods, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.
—Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
The cocktail comes to us, like so many greats, from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks and the recipe most of us use is more or less the same as his—a healthy pour of Irish whiskey, with lime juice and some grenadine (pomegranate syrup) to sweeten.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for great
Cite this Entry
“Great.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
great
1 of 3 adjective
ˈgrāt 
in South also ˈgre(ə)t
1
: large in size : not small or little
2
: large in number : numerous
a great crowd
3
: long continued
a great while
4
: beyond the average or ordinary
a great weight
in great pain
5
: distinguished, prominent
a great artist
6
: more distant in relationship by one generation
7
: superior in quality or character
8
: remarkable in skill
great at tennis
9
—used as a term of general approval
had a great time
greatly
adverb
greatness
noun
great
2 of 3 adverb
: in a great manner : successfully, well
great
3 of 3 noun
plural great or greats
: an outstandingly superior or skillful person
the greats of baseball
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