great
adjective
/ɡreɪt/
1 (informal) very good or pleasant
He's a great bloke.
What a great goal!
We had a great time in Madrid.
You should have come along. It was great fun.
You've done a great job.
I think that's a great idea.
It's a great way to meet new people.
New Zealand is a great place to live.
This is a great opportunity for us.
He missed a great chance to score in the final minutes of the match.
it is great to do something It's great to see you again.
great with somebody/something He's great with the kids.
‘Why don't we order a pizza?’ ‘That sounds great.’
‘I'll pick you up at seven.’ ‘That'll be great, thanks.’
(ironic) Oh great, they left without us.
Collocations
verbs
adverb
large
2 much more than average in degree or quantity
This is a matter of great importance.
The lack of clean drinking water is of great concern.
The concert had been a great success.
Her death was a great shock to us all.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here today.
We will be following his progress with great interest.
one of the greatest challenges facing the world today
These women represent a group at greater risk of developing particular cancers.
Take great care of it.
You've been a great help.
(ironic) You've been a great help, I must say (= no help at all).
We are all to a great extent the products of our culture.
The problem is treated in great detail in the book.
Collocations
verbs
adverb
phrases
great big
no great
A great crowd had gathered.
People were arriving in great numbers.
The great majority of (= most) people seem to agree with this view.
He must have fallen from a great height.
She lived to a great age.
There was a great big pile of books on the table.
He cut himself a great thick slice of cake.
There's a great big hole in this sleeve.
admired
5 extremely good in ability or quality and therefore admired by many people
Gary Kasparov, undoubtedly the greatest chess player of all time
He has been described as the world's greatest violinist.
Sherlock Holmes, the great detective
Great art has the power to change lives.
This represents a great achievement.
He was a truly great man.
Collocations
verbs
adverb
important/impressive
The wedding was a great occasion.
This is a great day for the city of Chicago.
The great thing is to get it done quickly.
One great advantage of this metal is that it doesn't rust.
with influence
7 having high status or a lot of influence
the great powers (= important and powerful countries)
We can make this country great again.
Alexander the Great
in good health
8 in a very good state of physical or mental health
She seemed in great spirits (= very cheerful).
I feel great today.
I don’t feel too great.
Everyone's in great form.
You're looking great. Marriage must suit you!
skilled
She's great at chess.
useful
10 (informal) very suitable or useful for something
great for doing something This gadget's great for opening jars.
great for something Try this cream—it's great for spots.
for emphasis
11 only before noun used when you are emphasizing a particular description of somebody/something We are great friends.
I've never been a great reader (= I do not read much).
She's a great talker, isn't she?
I am a great admirer of your work.
family
12 great- added to words for family members to show a further stage in relationship
my great-aunt (= my father’s or mother’s aunt)
her great-grandson (= the grandson of her son or daughter)
my great-great-grandfather (= the grandfather of my grandfather)
larger animals/plants
13 only before noun used in the names of animals or plants that are larger than similar kinds the great tit
city name
14 Greater used with the name of a city to describe an area that includes the centre of the city and a large area all round it
Idioms
great
/ɡreɪt/
a very well-known and successful person
He was one of boxing's all-time greats.
great
/ɡreɪt/
(informal, non-standard)
very well
Well done. You did great.
Word Origin
Old English grēat ‘big’, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch groot and German gross.