Meaning of big in English

1. Pronunciation

   /bɪɡ/

   US accent

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   UK accent

   How to pronounce big in British English, in context ▾
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1. Classifying Adjective

   big

   Definitions

   1. significant

   Examples

   • « graduation was a big day in his life »

   Synonyms

   • important
   • of import
2. 2. of very great significance

   Examples

   • « deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decision »
   • « a momentous event »

   Synonyms

   • significant
   • important
3. 3. conspicuous in position or importance

   Examples

   • « a big figure in the movement »
   • « big man on campus »
   • « he's very large in financial circles »
   • « a prominent citizen »

   Synonyms

   • conspicuous
   • obvious
4. 4. very intense

   Examples

   • « a bad headache »
   • « in a big rage »
   • « had a big (or bad) shock »
   • « a bad earthquake »
   • « a bad storm »

   Synonyms

   • intense
5. 5. loud and firm

   Examples

   • « a big voice »
   • « big bold piano sounds »

   Synonyms

   • loud
6. 6. (of animals) fully developed

   Examples

   • « an adult animal »
   • « a grown woman »

   Synonyms

   • mature
7. 7. marked by intense physical force

   Examples

   • « a big wind »

   Synonyms

   • heavy
8. 8. feeling self-importance

   Examples

   • « too big for his britches »
   • « had a swelled head »
   • « he was swelled with pride »

   Synonyms

   • proud
9. 9. exhibiting self-importance

   Examples

   • « big talk »

   Synonyms

   • proud
10. 10. generous and understanding and tolerant

    Examples

    • « 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 »

    Synonyms

    • generous
11. 11. given or giving freely

    Examples

    • « 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 »

    Synonyms

    • generous

12. Adverb

    big

    Definitions

    1. extremely well

    Examples

    • « his performance went over big »
13. 2. in a boastful manner

    Examples

    • « he talked big all evening »
14. 3. on a grand scale

    Examples

    • « think big »

    Antonyms

    • small
15. 4. in a major way

    Examples

    • « the play failed big at the box office »

16. Qualitative Adjective

    big

    Etymology

    Middle English (in the sense ‘strong, mighty’): of unknown origin

    Definitions

    1. above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

    Examples

    • « 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 o »

    Synonyms

    • ample
    • sizable
    • sizeable
    • astronomic
    • astronomical
    • galactic
    • bigger
    • larger
    • biggest
    • greatest
    • largest
    • biggish
    • largish
    • blown-up
    • enlarged
    • bouffant
    • puffy
    • bulky
    • capacious
    • colossal
    • prodigious
    • stupendous
    • cosmic
    • deep
    • double
    • elephantine
    • gargantuan
    • giant
    • jumbo
    • enormous
    • tremendous
    • epic
    • heroic
    • larger-than-life
    • extensive
    • extended
    • gigantic
    • mammoth
    • great
    • hulking
    • hulky
    • huge
    • immense
    • vast
    • Brobdingnagian
    • humongous
    • banging
    • thumping
    • whopping
    • walloping
    • king-size
    • king-sized
    • large-scale
    • large-scale
    • life-size
    • lifesize
    • life-sized
    • full-size
    • macro
    • man-sized
    • massive
    • monolithic
    • monumental
    • massive
    • monstrous
    • mountainous
    • outsize
    • outsized
    • oversize
    • oversized
    • overlarge
    • too large
    • plumping
    • queen-size
    • queen-sized
    • rangy
    • super
    • titanic
    • volumed
    • voluminous
    • whacking
    • wide-ranging
    • broad
    • spacious
    • wide

    Antonyms

    • small
    • little
    • small
    • little

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Browse dictionary

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