big

[ big ]

/ bɪg /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR big ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, big·ger, big·gest.

large, as in size, height, width, or amount: a big house; a big quantity.

of major concern, importance, gravity, or the like: a big problem.

outstanding for a specified quality: a big liar; a big success.

important, as in influence, standing, or wealth: a big man in his field.

grown-up; mature: big enough to know better.

elder: my big sister.

doing business or conducted on a large scale; major in size or importance: big government.

consisting of the largest or most influential companies in an industry: Big steel wants to lower prices, but the smaller mills don't.

Informal. known or used widely; popular: Nouvelle cuisine became big in the 1970s.

magnanimous; generous; kindly: big enough to forgive.

boastful; pompous; pretentious; haughty: a big talker.

loud; orotund: a big voice.

(of clothing or a clothing design) made of or distinguished by voluminous fabric that is loosely or softly shaped and fitted: a big shirt; the big look.

(of a wine) having more than average flavor, body, and alcoholic content.

filled; brimming: eyes big with tears.

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pregnant.

Obsolete. very strong; powerful.

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

1250–1300; Middle English big(ge) < ?

SYNONYMS FOR big

1 huge, immense; bulky, massive; capacious, voluminous; extensive. See great.

4 consequential.

15 overflowing, flooded.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR big ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR big

1 little.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR big ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM big

big·gish, adjective big·ly, adverb, adjective

Words nearby big

bifrost, bifter, bifunctional, bifurcate, bifurcation, big, big and bold, big apple, big apple, the, big as life, big bad wolf

Example sentences from the Web for bigger

The Big Five banks dubbed too big to fail, are 35 percent bigger than they were when the meltdown was triggered.

Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton |Eleanor Clift |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Steiger was nominated, and Richard Burton, and a lot of people in bigger movies.

The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile |Robert Ward |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
“The four largest banks are nearly 40 percent bigger today than they were just five years ago,” she observed.

How Naive is Elizabeth Warren? |Nick Gillespie |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
This game is only two hours of what promises to be a twelve hour series, so there is plenty of time to get bigger and badder.

‘Game of Thrones’ Interactive FanFiction: Whoops, My Friend Was Speared in the Throat |Alec Kubas-Meyer |December 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Cannons were fired in the heart of the tiny principality, which is no bigger than Central Park, to celebrate the news.

Princess Charlene Gives Birth To Twins Gabriella and Jacques |Tom Sykes |December 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I know many a bigger craft wouldn't hold up her canvas under such a gale.'

Maurice Tiernay Soldier of Fortune |Charles James Lever
It happened in this wise: Sim had a very high temper, and in a quarrel with a bigger cat than herself she was vanquished.

Daisy |Miranda Eliot Swan
Afterwards she found there was plenty of room, so she did "i-n-g" bigger to make up for it.

The Empire Annual for Girls, 1911 |Various
One umbrella, were it no bigger than a fairy mushroom, is worth ten such stopgaps.

Ulysses |James Joyce
In Ireland the cultivated portion of a holding is often no bigger relatively than that work-table on an acre of waste.

About Ireland |E. Lynn Linton

British Dictionary definitions for bigger (1 of 2)

big ¹

/ (bɪɡ) /

adjective bigger or biggest

of great or considerable size, height, weight, number, power, or capacity

having great significance; important a big decision

important through having power, influence, wealth, authority, etc the big four banks

(intensifier usually qualifying something undesirable) a big dope

informal considerable in extent or intensity (esp in the phrase in a big way)

eldermy big brother
grown-upwhen you're big, you can stay up later

generous; magnanimousthat's very big of you
(in combination)big-hearted

(often foll by with) brimming; full my heart is big with sadness

extravagant; boastful he's full of big talk

(of wine) full-bodied, with a strong aroma and flavour

too big for one's boots or too big for one's breeches conceited; unduly self-confident

in an advanced stage of pregnancy (esp in the phrase big with child)

big on informal enthusiastic about that company is big on research

adverb informal

boastfully; pretentiously (esp in the phrase talk big)

in an exceptional way; well his talk went over big with the audience

on a grand scale (esp in the phrase think big)

Derived forms of big

biggish, adjective bigness, noun

Word Origin for big

C13: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian dialect bugge big man

British Dictionary definitions for bigger (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 bigger (1 of 2)

bigger

In addition to the idiom beginning with bigger

bigger they come, the harder they fall, the

also see:

eyes are bigger than one's stomach

Idioms and Phrases with bigger (2 of 2)

big

In addition to the idioms beginning with big

big and bold
big as life
big bucks
big cheese
big daddy
big deal
big enchilada
big fish in a small pond
big head, have a
big league
big mouth, have a
big of one
big on
big shot
big stink
big time
big top
big wheel

also see:

go over big
great (big) guns
hit it big
in a big way
little frog in a big pond
make a federal case (big deal)
talk big
think big
too big for one's breeches
what's the (big) idea

Also see underbigger.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

big

adjective, big·ger, big·gest.

adverb

noun

Idioms for big

Origin of big

SYNONYMS FOR big

ANTONYMS FOR big

OTHER WORDS FROM big

Words nearby big

Example sentences from the Web for bigger

British Dictionary definitions for bigger (1 of 2)

adjective bigger or biggest

adverb informal

Derived forms of big

Word Origin for big

British Dictionary definitions for bigger (2 of 2)

verb bigs, bigging, bigged or bug (bʌɡ) Scot

Word Origin for big

Idioms and Phrases with bigger (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with bigger (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

big

adjective, big·ger, big·gest.

adverb

noun

Idioms for big

Origin of big

SYNONYMS FOR big

ANTONYMS FOR big

OTHER WORDS FROM big

Words nearby big

Words related to bigger

Example sentences from the Web for bigger

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for bigger (1 of 2)

adjective bigger or biggest

adverb informal

Derived forms of big

Word Origin for big

British Dictionary definitions for bigger (2 of 2)

verb bigs, bigging, bigged or bug (bʌɡ) Scot

Word Origin for big

Idioms and Phrases with bigger (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with bigger (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for bigger (1 of 2)