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large

large

2 2.5
Very generous and kind in giving or forgiving others
  • adjective
  • /lɑrdʒ/
: generoso
  • He made a large donation to the charity because he believed in their mission.

Examples

  • Have you, um, offered your very large friend a proper drink, darling?

  • We thank you for this food and for all sacrifices, large and small.

  • Their parents were still, to a large extent, absent from their daily lives.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Parents, friends and family, we know that you have sacrificed in large and small ways to make this day possible.

  • Burk was held by the look of her eyes: large and clearest blue.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Daisy looked back at him with large liquid eyes as she chewed the cud contentedly.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • If you become friends with Tiffany, Nikki will think you're a kind, generous, large-hearted person who helps people in need, who is basically thriving.

  • Her large heart inspired everyone around her with its kindness.

  • The teacher was known for her large understanding of her students' challenges.

Synonyms

big
vslarge
60 2.7

Generous and willing to forgive others

is the same idea but more formal and literary
generous
vslarge
52 1.3

An amount larger than usual or needed

applies to people showing generosity and forgiving spirit rather than amounts
magnanimous
vslarge
  • Formal
15 8.0

Being kind and generous when forgiving people who hurt you

covers general generosity and understanding beyond noble forgiveness
large-hearted
vslarge
1 4.3

A person who is generous, kind, and understanding toward others

has identical sense but written without a hyphen in modern usage
bighearted
vslarge
1 2.6

Being kind and generous and willing to help others

emphasizes wider magnanimity and forgivingness beyond simple giving
large-minded
vslarge
1 6.0

Willing to accept other people's ideas and be kind to them

focuses on personal generosity and magnanimity rather than tolerant opinion
largehearted
vslarge
1 4.1

Showing kindness and generosity by helping or forgiving others

stresses broad magnanimity and understanding rather than simple kindness

Antonyms

492 1.0

Caring only about yourself and not about other people

31 5.2

Not willing to spend money or give help to others

Idioms

90 3.7

In a general way without giving details

79 3.4

To say that something is true in most cases

60 6.2

Free and not caught after escaping, often said about criminals or dangerous animals

writ large
  • Formal
7 7.1

Very clear and easy to see

1 7.8

Has control and confidence when leading others

Compounds

215 1.4

Many people or things counted together

121 3.8

Very large and affecting many people or places

43 1.0

More than what is needed or allowed

A very large company that does business in many countries

11 2.7

A big difference between two amounts or scores

7 2.9

A size between medium and large, bigger than medium but smaller than large

large intestine
  • Specialized
7 2.8

The lower tube in the body that absorbs water from waste before the waste leaves the body

6 1.0

A clothing size for people who are bigger than average

A thing you buy that costs a lot of money like a car or house

5 1.3

A clothing fit between medium and extra large

large cap
  • Jargon
3 4.4

A company worth more than about ten billion dollars

3 6.4

A task that is very hard to do

2 1.3

A big shelter made of cloth for people at outdoor events

Having a mouth that is bigger than the rest of the face or body

large-scale
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Larger than usual to show more detail in maps or models

1 8.8

A nearby irregular galaxy visible from the southern sky that orbits the Milky Way

law of large numbers
  • Specialized
1 5.9

When a sample gets larger, its average gets closer to the average of the whole group

large-capitalization
  • Specialized
1 7.0

About stocks of big companies worth five billion dollars or more

1 1.0

A person who is bigger than most people

1 3.6

A plant with leaves larger than those of other plants of the same kind

large calorie
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A measure of food energy equal to the heat needed to warm 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius

The texture has large, easily seen pieces

1 2.5

A low North American plant that makes red berries people use for sauce and juice

1 7.2

A grass used for hay that grows fast and often becomes a weed

1 3.3

A plant with large leaves, like many tropical houseplants

A theorem that says the average of many independent random results almost certainly equals the true average

An amount that is large but not exactly known

large civet
  • Indian
7.8

A fairly large animal like a cat that is active at night in Asian forests

7.2

A common large butterfly with white wings whose caterpillars eat cabbages

large white petunia
  • Specialized
6.6

A yearly garden plant with large white flowers that smell sweet at night

9.9

A North American wild flower with greenish-yellow pouch-shaped flowers and purple marks

An herb that smells nice and has large pink flowers often grown in gardens or used for tea

A plant with large green and white leaves that grows along the ground in gardens

large tooth aspen
  • Specialized
6.5

A tree from eastern North America with large leaves that have rough edges and light bark

9.9

An annual plant with large coiled flower spikes that grows in the western United States and is threatened

6.9

An evergreen tree with large glossy leaves and big white fragrant flowers

A plant that lives for several years with broad leaves and small daisy-like flowers

A tree or bush with very large leaves and creamy flowers with purple near their base

A large tree or shrub with very big leaves and creamy purple flowers

large-toothed aspen
  • Specialized
7.9

A poplar tree with large, toothed leaves and a narrow crown

9.1

The average of many separate random results becomes almost always close to the true average

How Generous

magnanimous
  • Formal
15 8.0
large
2 2.5
generous
449 1.6
selfish
492 1.0

Surface Forms

large positive
larger comparative
largest superlative

Etymology

Large comes from Latin largus, which also meant 'generous' or 'giving'. That's why calling someone 'large' can mean they are 'big-hearted' or very kind.