Great | Mean of great in English Dictionary

/ˈgreɪt/

• very large in size
1. all creatures great and small
2. a great beast
3. We were surprised by the great size of the auditorium.
4. They traveled through a great stretch of wilderness.
5. a great cloud of smoke
6. A great crowd had formed in the city square.
7. the Great Wall of China
8. the Great Lakes
9. (US) The house has a large great room. [=a large room used for several different purposes]
10. (informal) They live in a great big house. [=a very large house]
11. (chiefly Brit) a huge/whopping great elephant
• very large in amount or extent
1. The project will require a great amount of time and money.
2. He lived to a great age. [=he lived to be very old]
3. The show was a great [=big, huge] success.
4. It's been a great [=long] while since we last saw them.
5. He amassed a great [=large] fortune.
6. The building was restored at great expense.
7. a great quantity of fish
8. He explained in great [=much] detail how they had met.
9. These topics need to be discussed in greater [=more] depth and at greater length.
10. Our speed/strength/power became greater (and greater) as we went on.
11. He made a great deal of money. [=he made a large amount of money]
12. Things could be a great deal worse. [=things could be much worse]
13. He is supported by the great majority of voters. [=by most voters]
• very strong
1. The low cost of these products gives them great appeal.
2. There is a very great need for reform.
3. They're in no great hurry to finish.
4. There is a great demand for his services.
5. She takes a great [=considerable] interest in everything her children do.
6. an actress of great charm
7. with great [=strongly felt] sadness/admiration/love
8. Is there any love greater than that between parent and child?
9. The whole matter must be treated with great care. [=very carefully]
10. His comments are true to a great extent. [=most of his comments are true]
11. This new tax affects everyone to a greater or lesser degree/extent. [=to some degree/extent]

• very important
1. This room is only used for great occasions. [=grand occasions, very important and formal occasions]
• very bad
1. The storm caused great damage/destruction.
2. He was obviously in great pain/discomfort.
3. She has suffered a great loss.
4. It would be a great mistake to ignore these problems.
5. a great disaster/misfortune
6. great difficulties
7. a very great error
• better than good: such as
• of the highest quality
1. great (works of) art/literature
2. great music
• very important and admired
1. a great poet/artist
2. a great leader/scientist/thinker/woman
3. He was a great but flawed man.
4. a great discovery/invention
5. great achievements
• very talented or successful
1. My brother is a great golfer.
2. She's a great judge of character.
3. My brother is great at (playing) golf. [=my brother plays golf very well]
4. She is great at Chinese cooking.
• very enjoyable, favorable, etc.
1. “How was the movie?” “It was (really) great!”
2. It was the greatest.
3. The movie got great reviews.
4. We are having great weather this summer.
5. We had a great time on our vacation.
6. a great party/lecture/performance
7. an actress with great [=very good-looking] legs
8. It's great to see you again. = It's great seeing you again.
9. This restaurant is great for a quick meal. = This is a great restaurant for a quick meal.
10. The food tastes great!
11. Great work, everybody!
12. “I've passed the exam!” “That's great!”
13. You look great in that hat. = That hat looks great on you.
14. Things aren't looking so great at this point.
15. He came home early because he wasn't feeling too great. [=he wasn't feeling well]
16. I feel great just being with her!
17. “I can't find the tickets.” “That's (just) great! What are we supposed to do now?”
18. Oh, great. Now I've lost the tickets.
• more distant in a family relationship by one generation
1. My great aunt/uncle is my father's/mother's aunt/uncle.
2. My great-grandfather is my grandfather's father.
3. My great-great-grandmother is my great-grandfather's mother.
4. a gift sent to Great-Uncle Mike
• very well
1. We had some problems at first, but now things are going just great.
2. Keep up the good work. You're doing great!
• Noun
• a very successful or admired person
1. She is among the greats of literature.
2. He is one of the all-time greats in baseball.