big
1
[ big ]
/ bɪg /
adjective, big·ger, big·gest.
adverb
Informal.
boastfully; pretentiously: to act big; to talk big.
Informal.
with great success; successfully: to go over big.
noun
the bigs, Sports Slang.
the highest level of professional competition, as the major leagues in baseball.
Idioms for big
be big on,
to have a special liking or enthusiasm for: Mother is big on family get-togethers.
big with child.
great(def 23).
Origin of big
1
1250–1300; Middle English
big(ge) < ?
SYNONYMS FOR big
4 consequential.
15 overflowing, flooded.
OTHER WORDS FROM big
big·gish, adjective big·ly, adverb, adjectiveWords nearby big
Definition for big (2 of 4)
big
2
or bigg
[ big ]
/ bɪg /
verb (used with object), bigged, big·ging. British Dialect.
to build.
Origin of big
2
1150–1200; Middle English
biggen orig., to inhabit < Old Norse
byggja to inhabit, cognate with Old English
bū(i)an, German
bauen
Definition for big (3 of 4)
Definition for big (4 of 4)
bigg
1
or big
[ big ]
/ bɪg /
noun Scot. and North England.
four-rowed barley.
Origin of bigg
1
1400–50; late Middle English
big, bigge < Old Norse
bygg barley, cognate with Old English
bēow
Example sentences from the Web for big
British Dictionary definitions for big (1 of 2)
big
1
/ (bɪɡ) /
adjective bigger or biggest
adverb informal
See also
big up
Derived forms of big
biggish, adjective bigness, nounWord Origin for big
C13: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian dialect
bugge big man
British Dictionary definitions for big (2 of 2)
big
2
/ (bɪɡ) /
verb bigs, bigging, bigged or bug (bʌɡ) Scot
to build
to excavate (earth) into a pile
Word Origin for big
from Old Norse
byggja; related to Old English
būian to inhabit
Idioms and Phrases with big
big