- large in size, degree, amount, etc.
- a big man/house/increase
- This shirt isn't big enough.
- It's the world's biggest computer company.
- (informal) He had this great big grin on his face.
- The lobster's claws are bigger than human hands.
- The festival is getting bigger every year.
- Her smile grew bigger.
- They were earning big money.
- The news came as a big blow.
Which Word? big / large / greatbig / large / greatThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:big ~ large ~ great ~ man numbers success house part majority car area interest boy room importance dog company difficulty smile eyes problem problem family pleasure surprise volume beauty question population artist difference problem surprise - Large is more formal than big and should be used in writing unless it is in an informal style. It is not usually used to describe people, except to avoid saying ‘fat’.
- Great often suggests quality and not just size. Note also the phrases:
- a large amount of
- a large number of
- a large quantity of
- a great deal of
- in great detail
- a person of great age
Extra Examples- He was a big man—tall and broad-shouldered.
- He was a short man with great big glasses.
- This house is rather big for us. We need something smaller.
- There's been a big increase in prices.
- We were hoping the show would be a really big success.
- The whole story is just a big fat lie.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- big fat
- great big
- (informal) older
- my big brother
- You're a big girl now.
- [only before noun] (rather informal) important; serious
- It's a big decision to have to make.
- You are making a big mistake.
- Unemployment is a big problem in the region.
- This legislation will make a big difference.
- The big question is: why did they do it?
- Housing is a big issue in London.
- a potentially big drawback
- She took the stage for her big moment.
- It doesn't get bigger than the World Cup Final!
- Tonight is the biggest match of his career.
- (informal) Do you really think we can take on the big boys (= compete with the most powerful people)?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- big fat
- great big
- (informal) (of a plan) needing a lot of effort, money or time to succeed
- They're full of big ideas.
- (informal) popular with the public; successful
- Orange is the big colour this year.
- big in… The band's very big in Japan.
- (informal) enthusiastic about somebody/something
- I'm a big fan of hers.
- doing something often or to a large degree
- a big eater/drinker/spender
- big of somebody (usually ironic) kind or generous
- He gave me an extra five pounds for two hours' work. I thought ‘That's big of you’.
large
older
important
ambitious
popular
enthusiastic
doing something a lot
generous
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘strong, mighty’): of unknown origin.
Idioms
See big in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee big in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbe/get too big for your boots
(North American English also be/get too big for your britches)
- to be/become too proud of yourself; to behave as if you are more important than you really areTopics Personal qualitiesc2
a big cheese
- (informal, humorous) an important and powerful person, especially in an organization
big deal!
- (informal, ironic) used to say that you are not impressed by something
- So he earns more than me. Big deal!
the big enchilada
- (North American English, informal, humorous) the most important person or thing
a big fish (in a small pond)
- an important person (in a small community)
a big girl’s blouse
- (British English, informal) an offensive term for a weak man, who is not brave or confident
(the) big mo
- (especially North American English, informal) the ability to keep moving ahead of your competitors, especially in politics
- In politics, momentum is known as the big mo.
- He's picking up a lot of support and has the big mo.
a big noise/shot/name
- an important person
the big picture
- (informal) the situation as a whole
- Right now forget the details and take a look at the big picture.
the big stick
- (informal) the use or threat of force or power
- The authorities used quiet persuasion instead of the big stick.
CultureThe phrase was made popular by President Theodore Roosevelt, who said that the US government should 'speak softly and carry a big stick'.
the Big Three, Four, etc.
- the three, four, etc. most important countries, people, companies, etc.
- She works for one of the Big Six.
somebody’s eyes are bigger than their stomach
- used to say that somebody has been greedy by taking more food than they can eat
give somebody/get a big hand
- to show your approval of somebody by clapping your hands; to be applauded in this way
- Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big hand to our special guests tonight.
have bigger/other fish to fry
- to have more important or more interesting things to do
have a big mouth
- to be bad at keeping secrets
- to talk too much, especially about your own abilities and achievementsTopics Personal qualitiesc2
in a big/small way
- on a large/small scale
- The new delivery service has taken off in a big way.
- Many people are investing in a small way in the stock market.
- He then started spending money in a big way.
make a (big) thing of/about something
- (informal) to make something seem more important than it really is
me and my big mouth
- (informal) used when you realize that you have said something that you should not have said
the next big thing
- (informal) a person or thing that people think will be very popular or successful soon
- She has been talked up as the next big thing in British tennis.
- Everyone is trying to guess what the next big thing in street fashion is going to be.
no big deal
- (informal) used to say that something is not important or not a problem
- If I don't win it's no big deal.
too big to fail
- (of a bank or business) so important to the economy of a country that when it finds itself in financial trouble, the government or central bank must act to save it
- Shouldering the huge costs of rescuing banks that are too big to fail has been left to taxpayers.
Check pronunciation:
big