great
/ɡreɪt/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
- 1.
Very good, excellent, or very pleasing. People use it to praise quality, results, or experiences.
- That was a great meal.
- You did a great job.
- We had a great time together.
- 2.
Very large in size, amount, or importance. This meaning is common in formal or general writing.
- The city has great economic power.
- She showed great patience.
- There is great pressure on students.
noun
In some fixed expressions, a very skilled or important person. This use is less common in everyday speech.
- He was one of the greats of tennis.
- The film director is among the greats.
- She joined the ranks of the greats.
Adinary Nuance
Great is broader and more casual than excellent or outstanding. It is friendly and flexible, so people use it for people, food, plans, and results. In formal writing, important or major often fits better when you mean size or significance.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- tuyệt vời
- Spanish
- genial
- Chinese
- 极好的
- Japanese
- 素晴らしい
- Korean
- 훌륭한
Etymology
Great comes from Old English great, meaning 'big' or 'large'. Over time, it also came to mean 'excellent' and 'important'.
Common phrases
a great ideaa great dealgreat effortgreat success
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is great formal or informal?
- It is neutral, but it often sounds friendly and natural in speech.
- What is the difference between great and excellent?
- Great is broader and more casual. Excellent sounds a little stronger and more formal.
- Can I say a great person?
- Yes, but it often means an admired or famous person, not just a nice person.
- Is great common in academic writing?
- Yes, but writers often choose more precise words like major, significant, or excellent.