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great 1 of 2

adjective

ˈgrāt How to pronounce great (audio)
Definition of greatnext
1
as in excellent
of the very best kind this cake is great!

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2
as in skillful
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor one of the great anthropologists

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3
as in noble
having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature a great humanitarian great acts of charity

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4
as in long
lasting for a considerable time haven't seen them in a great while

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5
as in large
of a size greater than average of its kind saw a great moose calmly walking through our backyard

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6
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest she's great on any type of sport that requires endurance

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7
as in greatest
coming before all others in importance regards global warming as the great issue of the day

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8
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station a descendant of one of the great families of Philadelphia

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great

2 of 2

adverb

as in nicely
in a pleasing way the game was going great for the home team

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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 great
Adjective
This should be a great Flyweight battle between two competitors. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 For distribution in Spain, having Filmax on board gives us great confidence. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Because the phone had no active primary line, calls had to be placed through WhatsApp, but texting worked great and the cellular data actually felt faster than my standard home carrier. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 With its outdoor-friendly build, rich bass, and already more affordable price for a great-sounding speaker, this deal needs to be on your invitation list. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for great
Recent Examples of Synonyms for great
  1. excellent
  2. skillful
  3. noble
  4. long
  5. large
  6. excited
  7. main
  8. aristocratic
Adjective
  • An individual company can maintain excellent controls and favorable claims experience while still facing higher pricing because the market has deteriorated around it.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Food and drink The property’s on-site restaurant serves decent New American fare in a room that offers the same excellent views as the penthouses, or on the hotel’s delightful terrace during the warmer months.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • But be that guy that can be skillful, a bruiser, fast and tough.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
  • As Musashi scrambles through a school of Samurai, the game seamlessly bounces between skillful swordplay, rowdy improvisation, and Looney Tunes-style levity.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of skillful
Adjective
  • Making Shakespeare’s plays accessible is a noble goal, but there are other ways to go about this beyond modernizing the text and diluting its lyrical beauty and nuance.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • This is Edward, the aging King of England, talking to the ambitious noble Harold Godwinson.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of noble
Adjective
  • This dates back to the dawn of consumer-facing chatbot AI, which didn’t have a long honeymoon period as exciting and life-changing tech.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Rutte pledged to increase support for Ukraine and bolster the 32-nation alliance's own defenses along its long eastern border with Russia.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of long
Adjective
  • Granted, Pollard needs only 1,083 yards to achieve a career high, but the Titans would like to get Tyjae Spears more involved and the overall quality of this offense remains a large question mark.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • This can address key requirements of the world’s largest cruise vessels.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of large
Adjective
  • A student who is excited about an experiment is still learning.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Based on a straw poll of curators, collectors, and rival dealers at a spree of events last week, this is the show everyone’s most excited to see in Chelsea this fall.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • Rhodes owes Orton another lick after getting punted in the head following their WrestleMania 42 Night 1 main event brawl.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Spectrum’s second flight began with ignition of the rocket’s nine Aquila main engines, burning a mixture of propane and liquid oxygen propellants to generate more than 150,000 pounds (675 kilonewtons) of thrust.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • During the period known as the Xi (Western) Zhou dynasty (1046–771 bce), warfare had been dominated by aristocratic elites and chariot forces and was generally conducted by armies smaller than those of subsequent centuries.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Often, entrants include these alongside aristocratic and highbrow interests in a way that could reduce the appearance of snobbishness.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of aristocratic

Phrases Containing great

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greasy spoons
great
greatcoat
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Cite this Entry

“Great.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/great. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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