| great | |
| 1. adj. Relatively large in scale, size, extent, number (i. e. having many parts or members) or duration (i. e. relatively long); very big. | |
| A great storm is approaching our shores. | |
| a great assembly | |
| a great wait | |
| 2. adj. Of larger size or more importance than others of its kind. | |
| the great auk | |
| 3. adj. (qualifying nouns of family relationship) Involving more generations than the word qualified implies (from 1510s). see Derived terms | |
| great-grandfather | |
| 4. adj. (obsolete, postpositive, followed by 'with') Pregnant; large with young; full of. | |
| great with child | |
| great with hope | |
| 5. adj. (obsolete, except with 'friend' and similar words such as 'mate','buddy') Intimate; familiar. | |
| 6. adj. Extreme or more than usual. | |
| great worry | |
| 7. adj. Of significant importance or consequence; important. | |
| a great decision | |
| 8. adj. (applied to actions, thoughts and feelings) Arising from or possessing idealism; admirable; superior; commanding; heroic; illustrious; eminent. | |
| a great deed | |
| a great nature | |
| a great history | |
| 9. adj. Impressive or striking. | |
| a great show of wealth | |
| 10. adj. Much in use; favoured. | |
| Poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era. | |
| 11. adj. (applied to persons) Endowed with extraordinary powers; of exceptional talents or achievements; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; remarkable; strong; powerful; mighty; noble. | |
| a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, writer etc. | |
| 12. adj. Title referring to an important leader. | |
| Alexander the Great | |
| 13. adj. Doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale; active or enthusiastic. | |
| What a great buffoon! | |
| He's not a great one for reading. | |
| a great walker | |
| 14. adj. (often followed by 'at') Skilful or adroit. | |
| a great carpenter | |
| You are great at singing. | |
| 15. adj. (informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic (from 1848). | |
| Dinner was great. | |
| 16. adj. (informal, British) Intensifying a word or expression, used in mild oaths. | |
| a dirty great smack in the face | |
| Great Scott! | |
| 17. interj. Expression of gladness and content about something. | |
| Great! Thanks for the wonderful work. | |
| 18. interj. sarcastic inversion thereof. | |
| Oh, great! I just dumped all 500 sheets of the manuscript all over and now I have to put them back in order. | |
| 19. n. A person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim. | |
| Newton and Einstein are two of the greats of the history of science. | |
| 20. n. (music) The main division in a pipe organ, usually the loudest division. | |
| 21. adv. very well (in a very satisfactory manner) | |
| Those mechanical colored pencils work great because they don't have to be sharpened. | |
