# great

Pronunciation: say "GRAYT" /ˈɡɹeɪt/

## Adjective

1. Extremely good; excellent or wonderful. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Very good or wonderful in a way that makes you happy.
   - _The concert last night was absolutely great._
   - _She thought the new schedule sounded great for everyone._
2. Large in size, amount, or degree; much more than usual.
   - Simple: Very big, or much more than usual in amount or strength.
   - _He showed great patience while teaching the beginners._
   - _Finishing the report on time required a great deal of effort._
4. Important and having major consequences.
   - Simple: Very important and having big effects on what happens.
   - _The treaty marked a great turning point for the region._
   - _The printing press was one of the great inventions in history, changing how ideas spread._
5. Possessing exceptional talent, skill, or achievements.
   - Simple: Having amazing talent or having achieved very impressive things.
   - _Many consider her a great composer of the last century._
   - _He trained for years before becoming a great surgeon._
7. Placed before a term of family relationship to add one further generation of distance for each repetition of the word.
   - Simple: Added before a family word to show one more generation each time it is repeated, as in great-grandmother or great-grandson.
   - _Her great-grandmother emigrated from Italy in 1910._
   - _The diaries had belonged to his great-great-grandfather._
8. Arising from or embodying high ideals; admirable, commanding, and worthy of esteem.
   - Simple: Showing fine, noble ideals that other people admire.
   - _Giving his whole fortune to build the hospital was a great deed._
   - _Her letters reveal a great nature, generous and fearless to the very end._
10. Impressive or striking in appearance or effect.
   - Simple: Very impressive or striking, in how it looks or in the effect it has.
   - _The old general still cut a great figure on horseback._
   - _With its gilded domes, the palace makes a great show from the river._
11. Doing or showing something on a large scale; very active or enthusiastic in a pursuit.
   - Simple: Doing something a lot, or with a lot of energy.
   - _I'm not a great one for parties; I'd rather stay home with a book._
   - _They're great travelers, always planning their next trip abroad._
12. Widely used or in fashion; popular and favored at a particular time.
   - Simple: Used or liked by many people at a certain time.
14. Used to intensify a following word or expression, especially in mild oaths or affectionate insults. *(colloquial, British)*
   - Simple: Used to make a word stronger, often in playful insults.
   - _Mind the vase, you great lump!_
   - _You great idiot, you've left the keys locked inside again._

## Interjection

3. Used to express pleasure or satisfaction, or ironically to express annoyance, disappointment, or frustration.
   - Simple: Used to show that you are pleased, or sarcastically to show that you are annoyed or disappointed.
   - _Great, the package arrived a whole day early._
   - _Great! I had no idea you were coming to the wedding._

## Adverb

6. In a very satisfactory manner; very well. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: In a way that is very good or satisfying.
   - _She did great on her final exams this term._
   - _The new car handles great on the highway._

## Noun

9. An outstanding figure, notable for major achievement, influence, or renown.
   - Simple: A very famous and important person who has done amazing things.
   - _Critics rank her among the greats of modern literature._
   - _He is remembered as a great of the boxing ring._

## Adjective

13. On close or intimate terms with someone; familiar. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Very close and friendly with someone.
15. Pregnant; heavy with young, or filled to fullness with something. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Pregnant or carrying young inside, or full of something, as in great with hope.
   - _The queen was great with child throughout the long siege._
   - _Their mare grew great with foal as spring approached._

## Other meanings

- (noun) The principal manual division of a pipe organ, typically its loudest and most powerful section.

## Origin

Old English grēat meant "big, thick, coarse, massive" and became Middle English greet ("great, large"). Behind it is Proto-Germanic *grautaz, "big in size, coarse-grained," which may go back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to rub, grind." Grit is related, and German groß and Dutch groot are cognates.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/great (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).