1
as in large
of a size greater than average of its kind
bought a big apple to quench his raging appetite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect
there will be a big meeting to resolve the issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in great
having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature
how big of you to give your subordinates most of the credit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rich
having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor)
inexperienced wine drinkers should not start with such a big wine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the big story that year was the election of the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in fashionable
enjoying widespread favor or approval
jackets with very wide lapels were big that year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body
a mare big with a foal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in heavy
one of high position or importance within a group
with that new promotion he's now one of the bigs in the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in major league
usually bigs plural
the highest level of a field of endeavor
a candidate who is running for president is playing in the bigs and cannot afford to make major mistakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of big
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Charlotte credited him and maternal grandfather Jeff Foy for being big influences on her softball path.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Even their bigs handle the ball like guards.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for big
Adjective
In the second half, the Knicks began making a concerted effort to get their All-Star big man the ball.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Charlotte credited him and maternal grandfather Jeff Foy for being big influences on her softball path.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Johnnies were led by 18 points a piece from bigs Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins, and a 14-point effort from guard Oziyah Sellers.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Even their bigs handle the ball like guards.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for big
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big
Adjective
-
The school year in West Ada will come to a close in a couple of months, but Idaho’s largest school district is gearing up for a big change.—
Noah Daly,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Mar. 2026
-
It was hung roughly a year after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, to express solidarity with the twelve hundred people who were murdered—in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—and with the two hundred and fifty-one people Hamas had abducted.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Being honest with yourself before making major purchases should protect your long-term stability.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But simply naming the great fear and sharing it with the millions of watchers in living rooms and hotels and airport lobbies was a trial almost too painful to contemplate.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
No substitutions for prize except by Sponsor, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be substituted.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That night, Joost wanted to dine at a real restaurant like rich foreigners.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The exempt areas include the Red Sea tourist resorts of Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Alam, as well as the antiquities-rich southern cities of Aswan and Luxor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Demonstrators flocked to protests around the country to march, stand in crowds or line main streets.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Sirens alerted people to seek shelter in and around Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beer Sheba and areas near the country’s main nuclear research center, which were targeted by Iranian strikes that injured dozens last weekend.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Like a quality watch, gold necklaces are timeless accessories — living outside of the trend cycle while appearing around the necks of society’s most fashionable year in and year out, no matter the season.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
However, this rigorous standard aligns with her upbringing in 1950s Compton, where her parents kept an organic vegetable garden long before the term was fashionable.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His wife was pregnant with their second child.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Several days later, his pregnant wife, Ruth, throws their toddler into the car and drops off the ransom, and Carl is returned home, more or less whole but emotionally damaged beyond repair.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Nuggets don’t need Jokic to play the heavy in the locker room.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Mar. 2026
-
How the Script Walks a Tonal Tightrope Radcliffe credited playwrights Macmillan and Donahoe with building a structure that lets the performer pivot rapidly between the heavy and the silly.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Big.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
