big Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
    large.
    • 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 of scientists
    • large areas of the world
  2. adjective satellite significant
    • graduation was a big day in his life
  3. adjective satellite very intense
    bad.
    • a bad headache
    • in a big rage
    • had a big (or bad) shock
    • a bad earthquake
    • a bad storm
  4. adjective satellite loud and firm
    • a big voice
    • big bold piano sounds
  5. adjective satellite conspicuous in position or importance
    large; prominent.
    • a big figure in the movement
    • big man on campus
    • he's very large in financial circles
    • a prominent citizen
  6. adjective satellite prodigious
    heavy.
    • big spender
    • big eater
    • heavy investor
  7. adjective satellite exhibiting self-importance
    crowing; braggart; boastful; cock-a-hoop; bragging; self-aggrandizing; braggy; self-aggrandising.
    • big talk
  8. adjective satellite feeling self-importance
    swelled; vainglorious.
    • too big for his britches
    • had a swelled head
    • he was swelled with pride
  9. adjective satellite (of animals) fully developed
    grown; full-grown; adult; grownup; fully grown.
    • an adult animal
    • a grown woman
  10. adjective satellite marked by intense physical force
    • a big wind
  11. adjective satellite generous and understanding and tolerant
    large; magnanimous.
    • 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
  12. adjective satellite given or giving freely
    liberal; giving; openhanded; bountiful; freehanded; bighearted; bounteous; handsome.
    • 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 openhanded grandfather
  13. adjective satellite in an advanced stage of pregnancy
    heavy; great; with child; gravid; enceinte; expectant; large.
    • was big with child
    • was great with child
  14. adverb extremely well
    • his performance went over big
  15. adverb in a boastful manner
    large; vauntingly; boastfully.
    • he talked big all evening
  16. adverb on a grand scale
    • think big
  17. adverb in a major way
    • the play failed big at the box office

WordNet

Big adjective
Etymology
Perh. from Celtic; cf. W. beichiog, beichiawg, pregnant, with child, fr. baich burden, Arm. beac'h; or cf. OE. bygly, Icel. biggiligr, (properly) habitable; (then) magnigicent, excellent, fr. OE. biggen, Icel. byggja, to dwell, build, akin to E. be.
Wordforms
comparative Bigger; superlative Biggest
Definitions
  1. Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large. "He's too big to go in there." Shak.
  2. Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; -- often figuratively.
    [Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome. Addison.
  3. Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.
    God hath not in heaven a bigger argument. Jer. Taylor.
    ✍ Big is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, big-boned; big-sounding; big-named; big-voiced.
    I talked big to them at first. De Foe.
    Syn. -- Bulky; large; great; massive; gross.
Big, Bigg noun (Also<
  • Big
  • Bigg
)
Etymology
OE. bif, bigge; akin to Icel. bygg, Dan. byg, Sw. bjugg.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.
    "Bear interchanges in local use, now with barley, now with bigg." New English Dict.
Big, Bigg transitive verb (Also<
  • Big
  • Bigg
)
Etymology
OE. biggen, fr. Icel. byggja to inhabit, to build, ba (neut.) to dwell (active) to make ready. See Boor, and Bound.
Definitions
  1. To build. Scot. & North of Eng. Dial. Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1913