Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin:

great

1 adjective
     
great1 S1 W1 comparative greater, superlative greatest
1

large

[usually before noun] very large in amount or degree:
The movie was a great success.
The news came as possibly the greatest shock of my life.
The paintings cost a great deal (=a lot) of money.
John always takes great care over his work.
It gives me great pleasure (=I am very pleased) to introduce tonight's speaker.
It's a great pity that none of his poems survive.
The temptation was too great to resist.
! Big, large, or great? ➔ see usage note big1
2

excellent

especially spoken
very good [= wonderful, fantastic]:
The weather here is great.
It's great to be home.
a great day out for all the family
sound/taste/smell/feel etc great
I worked out this morning and I feel great.
You look great in that dress.
great for doing something
Email's great for keeping in touch.
the great thing about somebody/something (=the very good thing about someone or something)
The great thing about Alex is that he's always willing to explain things to you.
3

important

a) [usually before noun] important or having a lot of influence:
one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time
What makes a novel truly great?
great historical events
b) used in the title of a person or event that was very important in the past
Peter/Catherine etc the Great
I'm reading a biography of Alexander the Great.
the Great Depression
the Great War old-fashioned (=World War One)
4

generous

very good or generous in a way that people admire:
a great humanitarian gesture
5

extremely skilful

famous for being able to do something extremely well:
Ali was undoubtedly one of the greatest boxers of all time.
a book about the lives of the great composers
6

big

written very big [= huge]:
A great crowd had gathered.
A great iron stove filled half the room.
7

doing something a lot

used to emphasize that someone does something a lot
a great talker/reader/admirer etc
Anthony's a great talker - sometimes you just can't get a word in.
Len was a great believer in the power of positive thinking.
be a great one for doing something
She's a great one for telling stories about her schooldays.
8

great big

spoken very big:
Get your great big feet off my table!
9

to a greater or lesser extent

used to emphasize that something is always true, even though it is more true or noticeable in some situations than others:
Most companies operate in conditions that are to a greater or lesser extent competitive.
10

be no great shakes

informal to not be very good, interesting, or skilful:
The work's no great shakes, but at least I'm earning.
11

be going great guns

informal to be doing something extremely well:
After a slow start, the Tigers are going great guns.
12

bad

spoken informal used when you are disappointed or annoyed about something:
'Daniel's cancelled the party.' 'Oh great!'
13

animal/bird/plant etc

used in the names of some animals or plants, especially when they are bigger than other animals or plants of the same type:
the Great Crested Grebe
14

the great outdoors

informal the countryside, considered as enjoyable and healthy:
He had a taste for adventure and the great outdoors.
15

great minds (think alike)

spoken used humorously when you and another person have had the same idea
16

the greater good

a general advantage that you can only gain by losing or harming something that is considered less important:
Some wars are fought for the greater good.
17

the great and the good

people who are considered important - used humorously
18

the great apes

the different types of animals that are similar to large monkeys, considered as a group:
Alone of the great apes, the gorilla is not very efficient at using tools.
19

the great divide

a situation in which there is a big difference between groups in society, areas of a country etc, for example a big difference between their wealth or attitudes:
The great divide between north and south seems to be as unbridgeable as ever.
20

Greater London/Los Angeles/Manchester etc

SG London, Los Angeles etc and its outer areas
21

huge/enormous great

British English spoken used to emphasize how big something is
22

Great Scott!/Great Heavens!

spoken old-fashioned used to express shock or surprise
23

great with child

literary very soon to have a baby
—greatness noun [uncountable]
She was destined for greatness.
WORD FOCUS: good WORD FOCUS: good
very good: excellent, fantastic, wonderful, great, terrific, neat American English, superb, amazing, outstanding, brilliant, impressive, fine, first-class, out of this world
of good quality: high quality, top quality, superior, deluxe, classy
morally good: decent, virtuous, respectable, honourable British English/honorable American English, upright, beyond reproach

➔ See also goodWORD CHOICE: WORD CHOICE:

big, large, greatbig and large have the same meaning, but large is slightly more formal and more likely to be used in written than spoken English • a big lunch • a large houselarge is used with quantity words such as 'number' and 'amount' • large amounts of money • a large proportion of the studentsgreat is not usually used to talk about size but it can be used in literary writing to describe very large and impressive things • Before them stood a great palace.great is used with length, height, and age, and in the expression a great deal (=a lot) • The grass had reached a great height. • a great deal of moneyWORD CHOICE: big, tall, highbig is not used just to describe a person's height. It is used to describe a child who is growing, or a person who is heavy, with a lot of fat or muscle on their body.tall is used to describe a person's height. It can also be used to describe trees, buildings, or other things that are narrow and measure a long distance from bottom to top • She is tall and thin. • the tallest building in Londonhigh is used to describe things or places that are a long way from the ground • a high shelf • the highest mountain in the world ➔ See also big
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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