great

1 of 3

adjective

ˈgrāt How to pronounce great (audio)
 Southern also  ˈgre(ə)t
1
a
: 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
2
a
: 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 time
It was just great.
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
especially : noble
great of soul
7
a
: 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

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

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
Just young people who, with a bit of support, can be capable of a great deal. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 Trespasser is set in an open world, allowing players to explore simulated environments with greater freedoms of movement and choice than are typical in more scripted or linear games. Patrick House, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024 My model for a great solo show is a great group show. Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Executive Chef Alfred takes great pride in preparing Bermudian cuisine and is well known for infusing the best seafood that Bermuda’s waters offer. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024 Regardless, Grande is undoubtedly in the midst of one of the great album runs for any pop artist this century — maybe any artist, period. Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2024 Newer to the fold is Blade, whose distinctive, almost orchestral approach to percussion was a big part of the last quartet led by Wayne Shorter, a close friend and great inspiration to Lloyd. Steve Hochman, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024 In its case, with great responsibility came little power. Raja Khalidi, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2024 And today’s Cincinnati Ballet is jam-packed with dancers who are not just great technicians, but also wildly interesting to watch. David Lyman, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024
Adverb
The former Cards great was one of the faces of SI's four-part series on high school sports, published during his standout career at Trinity. The Courier-Journal, 20 Jan. 2024 On Instagram, the actress, 51, uploaded shots of the NBA great blowing out his candles and dancing with their youngest daughter Kaavia. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 20 Jan. 2024 In recent years the former Bayern Munich great struggled with health problems. USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 Miami Heat great Tim Hardaway has a thing or two to say about who is the true king of the crossover. Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The shots turned out great, all things considered, capturing the Beatles in all their live glory. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Feb. 2024 The Niners’ Brock Purdy is Mr. Irrelevant, the dead-last draft pick still trying to verify it isn’t just a ground game and defense that makes San Fran pretty great. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024 Nothing great lasts forever — not even the Golden State Warriors. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 But not every Cup Series great wins this prestigious race. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
Black suits and hats linked the white bluesmen with the R&B greats of old, men like Cab Calloway and John Lee Hooker and B.B. King, impeccably dressed. John Belushi, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 Toné! or Lucy Pearl, as a solo artist and collaborator with greats like D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige, or even as a songwriter with Beyoncé or producer for Solange. Rivea Ruff, Essence, 15 Mar. 2024 The greats of the game really understand the nuance of that difference. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2024 Nightclubs such as Club Alabam brought jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington to the stage. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Jason Sudeikis was the celeb du jour in attendance at USC on Friday, with Will Ferrell in attendance on Monday along with former Trojan greats Cheryl Miller and Tina Thompson. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2024 After a breakthrough decade in the 1970s where heavy metal captured a different subset of disillusioned listeners than the hippie movement before them, eschewing peace and love for something heavier and darker, many of the heavy metal bands who would endure as greats took stock of their sound. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 Richard was a comedy rock star, a humanitarian, one of the all-time greats. Elayne Boosler, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 An expert romantic comedy that tracks a cadre of Southern Californian lonely hearts, Crazy Stupid, Love benefits from a cast filled to the brim with acting greats. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, and Noun

Middle English grete, from Old English grēat; akin to Old High German grōz large

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near great

Cite this Entry

“Great.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

great

1 of 3 adjective
ˈgrāt How to pronounce great (audio)
 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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