great

English Online Dictionary. What means great‎? What does great mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English greet (“great, large”), from Old English grēat (“big, thick, coarse, massive”), from Proto-West Germanic *graut, from Proto-Germanic *grautaz (“big in size, coarse, coarse grained”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd-, *gʰer- (“to rub, grind, remove”).

Cognate with Scots great (“coarse in grain or texture, thick, great”), West Frisian grut (“large, great”), Dutch groot (“large, stour”), German groß (“large”), Old English grēot (“earth, sand, grit”). Related to grit. Doublet of gross.

Pronunciation

• enPR: grāt
  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹeɪt/
  • (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæɪt/
  • (Canada) IPA^(key): [ˈɡɹeːt]
    • (Ottawa Valley) IPA^(key): [ˈɡɹeːt], [ˈɡɹɛːt]
• Homophone: grate
• Rhymes: -eɪt

(obsolete)

• (1700s) enPR: grīt, IPA^(key): /ɡɹiːt/
• (Early Modern English, 1500s–1600s) IPA^(key): /ɡɹɛːt/, /ɡɹet/

Adjective

great (comparative greater, superlative greatest)

1. Taking much space; large.
   1. (of an abstract noun) Much, more than usual.
   2. (informal, British) Intensifying a word or expression, used in mild oaths.

2. (informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic. [from 1848]
3. Important, consequential.
4. (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]

5. (obsolete, postpositive, followed by 'with') Pregnant; large with young; full of.
6. (obsolete, except with 'friend' and similar words such as 'mate', 'buddy') Intimate; familiar.
7. (applied to actions, thoughts and feelings) Arising from or possessing idealism; admirable; commanding; illustrious; eminent.

8. Impressive or striking.

9. Much in use; favoured.

10. (applied to persons) Of much talent or achievements.

11. Doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale; active or enthusiastic.

Usage notes

• Moderating adverbs such as fairly, somewhat, etc. tend not to be used with great. Some intensifiers can be used with some senses of great; for example, a very great amount, a very great man, the party was really great, though not *the party was very great.

Synonyms

• (augmentative): grand, super-, supra-, hyper-, ultra-, uber-, macro-, arch-, over-, mega-, giga-, -zilla
• See also Thesaurus:large
• See also Thesaurus:excellent
• gr8, grt (Internet slang, text messaging)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “very big, large scale”): tiny
• (antonym(s) of “uncommonly gifted”): mediocre, ordinary

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Welsh: grêt

Translations

Interjection

great

1. Expression of gladness and content about something.
   • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

2. A sarcastic inversion thereof.

Translations

Noun

great (plural greats)

1. A person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim.
2. (music) The main division in a pipe organ, usually the loudest division.
3. (in combinations such as "two-greats", "three-greats" etc.) An instance of the word "great" signifying an additional generation in phrases expressing family relationships.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim”): mediocre

Translations

Adverb

great (not comparable)

1. (informal) Very well (in a very satisfactory manner).

Translations

References

Anagrams

• 'Gater, Gater, Greta, ergat-, grate, retag, targe, terga

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *graut, from Proto-Germanic *grautaz (“big in size, coarse, coarse grained”), from *gʰer- (“to rub, grind, remove”).

Cognate with Old Saxon grōt (“large, thick, coarse, stour”), Old High German grōz (“large, thick, coarse”), Old English grot (“particle”). More at groat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡræ͜ɑːt/

Adjective

grēat (comparative grīetra, superlative grīetest)

1. great, massive
2. tall
3. thick; stout
4. coarse

Declension

Derived terms

• grēatnes

Descendants

• Middle English: grete, greet, girt, gert (dialectal)
  • English: great, (dialectal) gert
    • → Welsh: grêt
  • Scots: great, greet, grete, greit
  • Yola: graat

Scots

Alternative forms

• greet, grete, greit

Etymology

From Middle English grete, from Old English grēat, from Proto-West Germanic *graut, from Proto-Germanic *grautaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡrɛt], [ɡrɪt]
• (North Northern Scots) IPA^(key): [ɡrit]

Adjective

great (comparative greater, superlative greatest)

1. great
2. coarse (in grain or texture)
3. thick, bulky, roomy (of things)
4. big, stout (of people)
5. swollen with rain, in flood (of a river)
6. high, stormy (of the sea)
7. intimate, friendly