great
- noun
- /ɡreɪt/
- Albert Einstein is considered one of the great scientists in history for his contributions to physics.
- such greats
- Alexander the Great
- Catherine the Great
Examples
-
Because Ted Williams, whom I believe is one of the all-time greats, is also a world-class angler.
Fiction book (1993) -
Pretty soon he'll be joining the greats like Cagney and Tracy.
-
Now, this is a great man, Jimmy Stewart.
-
But he, I think, was one of the great thinkers of the age.
-
David Lynch, You know, the great film maker David Lynch?
-
A brother was one of the greats.
-
I've lived long enough to see some of the greats play.
-
Caesarea was built by Herod the Great in honor of Caesarea Augustus, ruler of the Roman Empire.
Academic text (2005) -
I know you haven't heard of him, but trust me, Vyvyan Ayrs is one of the musical greats, Sixsmith.
-
In sports, Michael Jordan is regarded as one of the greats of basketball, inspiring many players.
Synonyms
A very famous person admired for great achievements
A very important and influential person in a field
A very respected person in a field who is often an expert
A person many people know because of their achievements
A person who receives a special honor for great achievements, often in arts, literature or science
A person who is well known and admired
An important person who is well known in a field
A person who is very famous and admired while still alive
A person who is better than all others in a group
Antonyms
Idioms
- Offensive
Ordinary people who richer, more powerful people often talk about in a rude way
- Literature
People in society who are important, respected, and have power
A joking idea that deleted digital files are gone forever
Compounds
An island in northwest Europe that includes England, Scotland, and Wales often used to mean the United Kingdom
A very large room in a castle or large house where people eat and have large gatherings
A very large ancient Egyptian tomb for Pharaoh Khufu at Giza with a square base and four triangle-shaped sides
A large animal like a gorilla or orangutan with no tail and closely related to humans
A high mountain line that divides rivers flowing to the Pacific from those flowing to the Atlantic and Arctic oceans
- Literature
An ancient Phrygian goddess worshipped for nature and fertility, often shown with lions
A large bird with blue-grey feathers, long legs and a long neck that lives near water
A large owl with ear tufts and brown and white feathers found in North America
- Archaic
An old word for a person from the main group of people in the western part of Russia
A mountain range on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee with mist and many plants and animals
- Specialized
A very long period of about 25,800 years for Earth's axis to slowly turn once
- Specialized
A circle on a globe made when a flat surface passes through the center
A very large ancient Egyptian tomb in Giza built for the king Khufu about 2600 BC
A British TV show where amateur bakers compete in weekly baking challenges
- Specialized
A very large group of galaxies that pulls other galaxies with strong gravity
A long mountain range along Australia's east coast from Queensland to Victoria
A period from 1378 to 1417 when rival popes in Rome and Avignon split the Catholic Church
An official seal used to show a United States government document is real
A mass political movement led by Mao in China from 1966 to 1976 that attacks intellectuals and causes widespread violence
A national park in the southeastern United States covering Tennessee and North Carolina with high mountains and many wild animals
The official name of the country in northwest Europe made of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Archaic
A size of printed letters equal to 36 points used for large headings
A king who ruled Britain and Ireland from 1727 to 1760 and also ruled Hanover
- Specialized
A large inner thigh muscle that pulls the leg toward the middle of the body and moves it backward
A large furry animal from South America with a long snout and tongue that eats ants
A large shark with a blue back and white belly that lives in the open sea and can be dangerous
- Australian
A large bird from northern Australia that builds decorated structures with shells and shiny objects to attract a mate
A large plant with broad heart-shaped leaves that people use as food and medicine
A very large bird from Europe and Asia that is the heaviest flying bird in Europe
- Specialized
A large blood vessel in the brain that carries blood from deep parts to a channel called the straight sinus
A large seabird that could not fly and lived on rocky islands in the northern Atlantic and is now extinct
How Famous
Surface Forms
Etymology
Great as a noun comes from the adjective great meaning 'very important', so a 'great' is a person people see as 'outstanding' or very famous.