great
famous, powerful, or important as one of a particular type
a great politician/leader/artist/man/woman
Oxford Essential Dictionary
great
adjective (greater, greatest)
pronunciation
The word great sounds like late.
1 very large:
It's a great pleasure to meet you.
2 important or special:
Einstein was a great scientist.
3 (informal) very; very good:
He knows a great many people.
There's a great big dog in the garden!
They are great friends.
4 (informal) very nice or enjoyable same meaning wonderful:
I had a great weekend.
It's great to see you!
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
great
I. great1 S1 W1 /ɡreɪt/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative greater, superlative greatest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑greatness, ↑great; adverb: ↑greatly; adjective: ↑great]
[Language: Old English]
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.
2. EXCELLENT especially spoken
very good SYN 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 I)
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 SYN huge:
A great crowd had gathered.
A great iron stove filled half the room.
7. great big spoken very big:
Get your great big feet off my table!
8. 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.
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 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.
18. 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.
19. Greater London/Los Angeles/Manchester etc London, Los Angeles etc and its outer areas
20. huge/enormous great British English spoken used to emphasize how big something is
21. great Scott!/great Heavens! spoken old-fashioned used to express shock or surprise
22. great with child literary very soon to have a baby
—greatness noun [uncountable]:
She was destined for greatness.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
great / ɡreɪt / adjective approving (FAMOUS)
B2 famous, powerful, or important as one of a particular type:
a great politician/leader/artist/man/woman
This is one of Rembrandt's greatest paintings.
Who do you think is the greatest modern novelist?
great / ɡreɪt / adjective (BIG)
A2 large in amount, size, or degree:
an enormous great hole
A great crowd had gathered outside the president's palace.
The improvement in water standards over the last 50 years has been very great.
A great many people would agree.
The great majority of (= almost all) people would agree.
formal It gives us great pleasure to announce the engagement of our daughter Maria.
formal It is with great sorrow that I inform you of the death of our director.
I have great sympathy for you.
I spent a great deal of time there.
[ before noun ] used in names, especially to mean large or important:
a Great Dane (= large type of dog)
Catherine the Great
the Great Wall of China
the Great Bear (= group of stars)
great / ɡreɪt / adjective (EXTREME)
B1 extreme:
great success/difficulty
great / ɡreɪt / adjective (GOOD)
A1 informal very good:
a great idea
We had a great time last night at the party.
It 's great to see you after all this time!
"I'll lend you the car if you like." "Great! Thanks a lot!"
"What's your new teacher like?" "Oh, he's great."
"How are you feeling now?" "Great."
informal used to mean that something is very bad:
Oh great ! That's all I need - more bills!
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
great
[gre͟ɪt]
♦
greater, greatest, greats
1) ADJ-GRADED: ADJ n You use great to describe something that is very large. Great is more formal than big.
The room had a great bay window.
...a great hall as long and high as a church.
2) ADJ-GRADED Great means large in amount or degree.
I'll take great care of it...
Benjamin Britten did not live to a great age.
3) ADJ-GRADED You use great to describe something that is important, famous, or exciting.
...the great cultural achievements of the past...
America can be great again.
Derived words:
greatness N-UNCOUNT A nation must take certain risks to achieve greatness.
4) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n You can describe someone who is successful and famous for their actions, knowledge, or skill as great.
Wes Hall was once one of the West Indies' great cricketers.
...the great George Padmore.
Derived words:
greatness N-UNCOUNT Abraham Lincoln achieved greatness.
5) N-PLURAL: with supp The greats in a particular subject or field of activity are the people who have been most successful or famous in it. [JOURNALISM]
...all the greats of Hollywood.
...cycling's all-time greats.
6) N-PLURAL The greats of popular modern music are records that have been successful and that continue to be popular. [JOURNALISM]
...a medley of rock'n'roll greats.
7) ADJ (approval) If you describe someone or something as great, you approve of them or admire them. [INFORMAL]
Arturo has this great place in Cazadero...
They're a great bunch of guys...
I think she's great.
8) ADJ: feel ADJ If you feel great, you feel very healthy, energetic, and enthusiastic.
I feel just great.
9) ADJ-GRADED (emphasis) You use great in order to emphasize the size or degree of a characteristic or quality.
...a great big Italian wedding.
...her sense of colour and great eye for detail.
10) EXCLAM (feelings) You say great in order to emphasize that you are pleased or enthusiastic about something.
Oh great! That'll be good for Fergus.
11) EXCLAM (feelings) You say great in order to emphasize that you are angry or annoyed about something.
`Oh great,' I thought. `Just what I need.'
12) N-IN-NAMES Great is used as part of the name of a species of plant or animal when there is another species of the same plant or animal which is smaller and has different characteristics.
→ See also greater
...the great bustard.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1great /ˈgreɪt/ adj great·er; -est
1 a : very large in size : very big
• all creatures great and small
- usually used before a noun
• a great beast
• We were surprised by the great size of the auditorium.
• They traveled through a great stretch of wilderness.
• a great cloud of smoke
• A great crowd had formed in the city square.
• the Great Wall of China
• the Great Lakes
• (US) The house has a large great room. [=a large room used for several different purposes]
• (informal) They live in a great big house. [=a very large house]
• (chiefly Brit) a huge/whopping great elephant
b
- used in the names of animals that are larger than similar animals
• the great white shark
• the great horned owl
2 : very large in amount or extent
• The project will require a great amount of time and money.
• He lived to a great age. [=he lived to be very old]
• The show was a great [=big, huge] success.
• It's been a great [=long] while since we last saw them.
• He amassed a great [=large] fortune.
• The building was restored at great expense.
• a great quantity of fish
• He explained in great [=much] detail how they had met.
• These topics need to be discussed in greater [=more] depth and at greater length.
• Our speed/strength/power became greater (and greater) as we went on.
• He made a great deal of money. [=he made a large amount of money]
• Things could be a great deal worse. [=things could be much worse]
• He is supported by the great majority of voters. [=by most voters]
3 a : very strong
• 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.
• She takes a great [=considerable] interest in everything her children do.
• an actress of great charm
• with great [=strongly felt] sadness/admiration/love
• Is there any love greater than that between parent and child?
• The whole matter must be treated with great care. [=very carefully]
• His comments are true to a great extent. [=most of his comments are true]
• This new tax affects everyone to a greater or lesser degree/extent. [=to some degree/extent]
b
- used for emphasis before a noun that describes someone
• I've always been a great admirer of his work. [=I have always admired his work very much]
• They are great friends. [=they are very friendly]
• I'm a great believer in the value of patience. [=I believe very much in the value of patience]
c : very important
• This room is only used for great occasions. [=grand occasions, very important and formal occasions]
d : very bad : very extreme or severe
• The storm caused great damage/destruction.
• He was obviously in great pain/discomfort.
• She has suffered a great loss.
• It would be a great mistake to ignore these problems.
• a great disaster/misfortune
• great difficulties
• a very great error
4 : better than good: such as
a : of the highest quality
• great (works of) art/literature
• great music
b : very important and admired
• a great poet/artist
• a great leader/scientist/thinker/woman
• He was a great but flawed man.
• a great discovery/invention
• great achievements
c : very talented or successful
• My brother is a great golfer.
• She's a great judge of character.
• My brother is great at (playing) golf. [=my brother plays golf very well]
• She is great at Chinese cooking.
d informal : very enjoyable, favorable, etc. : excellent
• “How was the movie?” “It was (really) great!”
• It was the greatest.
• The movie got great reviews.
• We are having great weather this summer.
• We had a great time on our vacation.
• a great party/lecture/performance
• an actress with great [=very good-looking] legs
• It's great to see you again. = It's great seeing you again.
• This restaurant is great for a quick meal. = This is a great restaurant for a quick meal.
• The food tastes great!
• Great work, everybody!
• “I've passed the exam!” “That's great!”
- often used in the phrases feel great and look great
• You look great in that hat. = That hat looks great on you.
• Things aren't looking so great at this point.
• He came home early because he wasn't feeling too great. [=he wasn't feeling well]
• I feel great just being with her!
- sometimes used in an ironic way to describe something that is very bad or upsetting
• “I can't find the tickets.” “That's (just) great! What are we supposed to do now?”
• Oh, great. Now I've lost the tickets.
5 always used before a noun : more distant in a family relationship by one generation
• My great aunt/uncle is my father's/mother's aunt/uncle.
- usually used in combination
• My great-grandfather is my grandfather's father.
• My great-great-grandmother is my great-grandfather's mother.
• a gift sent to Great-Uncle Mike
a great one for informal
✦If you are a great one for (doing) something, you do it often or enjoy doing it very much.
• He's a great one for (playing) golf.
• She's a great one for getting other people to do her work.
go great guns
- see 1gun
go to great pains
- see 1pain
great with child old-fashioned + literary : pregnant
no great shakes
- see 2shake
