Big vs. Great: Difference and Comparison
Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Updated on September 29, 2023
"Big" primarily describes large size, while "great" indicates high degree or intensity, and can also denote approval or distinction
Difference Between Big and Great
The term "big" is fundamentally rooted in the physical realm, often employed to describe the largeness or sizable nature of an object or entity. In contrast, "great" envelops a broader spectrum, inferring superior quality, intensity, or approval, transcending mere physical dimensions.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Observing "big" through a grammatical lens, it primarily functions as an adjective, occasionally taking on comparative ("bigger") and superlative ("biggest") forms. Differently, "great" demonstrates versatile grammatical roles, prominently serving as an adjective, but also elegantly transitioning into adverbial usage ("greatly").
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
When examining the etymology, "big" originates from early Middle English, with its roots intertwined with notions of strength and robustness, and has generally retained a physical, size-related connotation throughout its evolution. "Great," tracing back to Old English "grēat," has consistently reverberated themes of superiority and exceptionality, contributing to its multifaceted contemporary applications.
Muazma Batool
Sep 29, 2023
In a narrative or colloquial context, "big" is often straightforward, rarely diverting from its primary role of size descriptor. However, "great" navigates through diverse contexts, offering accolades in one instance ("a great achievement"), reflecting intensity in another ("great pain"), or perhaps illustrating expansiveness ("the great outdoors").
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Exploring contexts, “big” often aligns with tangible, quantifiable aspects, such as size and extent, hence is likely to be spotted in descriptions of physical realms or quantifiable attributes. Alternatively, “great” strides gracefully through varied scenarios, from commending achievements to underlining severity, encapsulating both tangible and intangible realms.
William
Sep 29, 2023
Big vs. Great Comparison Chart
Big vs. Great Definitions
◉Great
Denoting the element of something that is the most important.
The great thing about it is the versatility.
Leo
Sep 29, 2023
◉Great
Very large in size, extent, or intensity
a great pile of rubble.
a great storm.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent
a great crisis.
great anticipation.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Older or eldest. Used especially of a sibling
My big brother is leaving for college next week.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Superior in quality or character; noble
a great man who dedicated himself to helping others.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Having or exercising considerable authority, control, or influence
a big official.
a big chief.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Conspicuous in position, wealth, or importance; prominent
a big figure in the peace movement.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
(Informal) Widely liked, used, or practiced; popular
"The Minneapolis indie-rock band was big in the blogosphere, beloved by hipsters, and unknown to pretty much everyone else" (Robert Levine).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Being one generation removed from the relative specified. Often used in combination
a great-granddaughter.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
pl. greats or great One that is great
a composer considered among the greats.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
With considerable success
made it big with their recent best-selling album.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
A division of most pipe organs, usually containing the most powerful ranks of pipes.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
In a thorough or unmistakable way; emphatically
failed big at the box office.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.
She was big with child.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(augmentative) Large, senior high-ranking, intense, extreme, or exceptional
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
(informal) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.
Whoa, Nadia has gotten pretty big since she hit puberty.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
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
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
(informal) Adult; (of a child) older.
Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.
We were just playing, and then some big kids came and chased us away.
She did it all on her own like a big girl.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Old, mature. Used to imply that somebody is too old for something, or acting immaturely.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Of larger size or more importance than others of its kind.
the great auk
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
.informal Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.
That's very big of you; thank you!
I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic.
Dinner was great.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
(informal) Important or significant.
What's so big about that? I do it all the time.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Intensifying a word or expression, used in mild oaths.
a dirty great smack in the face
Great Scott!
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Popular.
That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(qualifying nouns of family relationship) Involving more generations than the qualified word implies — as many extra generations as repetitions of the word great (from 1510s). [see Derived terms]
great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, great-great-great-grandfather
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
(informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns
You are a big liar.
Why are you in such a big hurry?
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Operating on a large scale, especially if therefore having undue or sinister influence.
There were concerns about the ethics of big pharma.
big money
Big Tech, Big Steel (large or influential tech or steel companies)
Big Science (science performed by large terms, of large scope, with government or corporate funding)
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Enthusiastic (about).
I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Of significant importance or consequence; important.
a great decision
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(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
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
In a large amount or to a large extent.
He won big betting on the croquet championship.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Much in use; favoured.
Poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
On a large scale, expansively.
You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
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
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(often followed by 'at') Skilful or adroit.
a great carpenter
You are great at singing.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Expression of gladness and content about something.
Great! Thanks for the wonderful work.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
(university slang) A initiated member of a sorority who acts as a mentor to a new member (the little).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
A person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim.
Newton and Einstein are two of the greats of the history of science.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(music) The main division in a pipe organ, usually the loudest division.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(in combinations such as "two-greats", "three-greats" etc.) An instance of the word "great" signifying an additional generation in phrases expressing family relationships.
My three-greats grandmother.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(informal) Very well in a very satisfactory manner.
Those mechanical colored pencils work great because they don't have to be sharpened.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Large in space; of much size; big; immense; enormous; expanded; - opposed to small and little; as, a great house, ship, farm, plain, distance, length.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Large in number; numerous; as, a great company, multitude, series, etc.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Long continued; lengthened in duration; prolonged in time; as, a great while; a great interval.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; - often figuratively.
[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Superior; admirable; commanding; - applied to thoughts, actions, and feelings.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.
God hath not in heaven a bigger argument.
I talked big to them at first.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Endowed with extraordinary powers; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; strong; powerful; mighty; noble; as, a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, etc.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.
"Bear interchanges in local use, now with barley, now with bigg."
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Holding a chief position; elevated: lofty: eminent; distinguished; foremost; principal; as, great men; the great seal; the great marshal, etc.
He doth object I am too great of birth.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Entitled to earnest consideration; weighty; important; as, a great argument, truth, or principle.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent;
a large city
set out for the big city
a large sum
a big (or large) barn
a large family
big businesses
a big expenditure
a large number of newspapers
a big group of scientists
large areas of the world
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
More than ordinary in degree; very considerable in degree; as, to use great caution; to be in great pain.
We have allGreat cause to give great thanks.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
of very great significance;
deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decision
a momentous event
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Older, younger, or more remote, by single generation; - often used before grand to indicate one degree more remote in the direct line of descent; as, great-grandfather (a grandfather's or a grandmother's father), great-grandson, etc.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
conspicuous in position or importance;
a big figure in the movement
big man on campus
he's very large in financial circles
a prominent citizen
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
very intense;
a bad headache
in a big rage
had a big (or bad) shock
a bad earthquake
a bad storm
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind;
a great juicy steak
a great multitude
the great auk
a great old oak
a great ocean liner
a great delay
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation;
our distinguished professor
an eminent scholar
a great statesman
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
of major significance or importance;
a great work of art
Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th century
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect;
a great crisis
had a great stake in the outcome
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
feeling self-importance;
too big for his britches
had a swelled head
he was swelled with pride
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
very good;
he did a bully job
a neat sports car
had a great time at the party
you look simply smashing
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
uppercase;
capital A
great A
many medieval manuscripts are in majuscule script
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
marked by active interest and enthusiasm;
an avid sports fan
a great walker
an eager beaver
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
generous and understanding and tolerant;
a heart big enough to hold no grudges
that's very big of you to be so forgiving
a large and generous spirit
a large heart
magnanimous toward his enemies
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
in an advanced stage of pregnancy;
was big with child
was great with child
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Big
given or giving freely;
was a big tipper
the bounteous goodness of God
bountiful compliments
a freehanded host
a handsome allowance
Saturday's child is loving and giving
a liberal backer of the arts
a munificent gift
her fond and openhanded grandfather
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above average.
The project requires a great deal of effort.
Olivia
Sep 29, 2023
◉Big
in an advanced stage of pregnancy;
was big with child
was great with child
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Great
Of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above average.
She is one of the great writers of the 20th century.
Olivia
Sep 29, 2023
Big vs. Great Frequently Asked Questions
Is big strictly a physical descriptor
While often physical, big can also describe importance or popularity.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Is it correct to use big to describe seriousness
Yes, big can describe seriousness or importance as in "a big decision."
Olivia
Sep 29, 2023
Can great mean large in size
Yes, great can also describe considerable size or extent.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Is it possible to use great to describe quantity
Yes, great can refer to considerable amount or quantity, like "a great number of apples."
Elijah
Sep 29, 2023
Does great always imply goodness or superiority
Not always; great can also describe large extent or intensity without positive connotations.
Muazma Batool
Sep 29, 2023
Does great have comparative and superlative forms
Yes, great becomes greater and greatest.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 29, 2023
Can great be used in a neutral or negative context
Yes, great can describe extent or intensity neutrally or negatively, as in "great pain."
Nolan
Sep 29, 2023
Is big synonymous with popular
In some contexts, big can mean popular or prominent in a field.
Elijah
Sep 29, 2023
Content Creators
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Muneeza RehmanAt Comparisons.wiki, Muneeza skillfully navigates the vast sea of information, ensuring clarity and accuracy as the lead content editor. With a keen eye for detail, she curates every comparison to enlighten and engage readers.
Edited by
Muazma BatoolAs a content editor, Muazma Batool is not just a grammar guru but a creative mastermind who breathes life into every word. With an eagle eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she transforms bland text into engaging content that captivates audiences and drives results.
