Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

big en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

(UK) audio
bĭg
/bɪɡ/
(US) audio

Etymology

Inherited from Northern Middle English big, bigge (“powerful, strong”), possibly from a dialect of Old Norse. Ultimately perhaps a derivative of Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”), in which case big would be related to bogey, bugbear, and bug. Compare dialectal Norwegian bugge (“great man”), Low German Bögge, Boggelmann.

Meanings

Of great size, large.
- Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return. […] When a company’s share price rises faster than the rest of the market, this means that it has a bigger weight in a traditional index. 2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2020, page 68:
- Elephants are big animals, and they eat a lot.
- Out of the 484 Utah water systems that reported data in 2024, only 66 fluoridated their water, an Associated Press analysis showed. The largest was the state’s biggest city, Salt Lake City. 2025 March 28, “Utah becomes the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water”, in CNN, sourced from Associated Press:
- The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line,[…], with their court of farm and church and clustered village, in dignified seclusion. 1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter III, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC:
(informal) Of great size, large. ▸ Fat.
- Gosh, she is big!
(figuratively, sometimes) Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.
- She was big with child.
- The Dawn is over-caſt, the Morning low’rs, And heavily in Clouds brings on the Day, The great, th’ important Day; big with the Fate Of Cato and of Rome. 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1:
(informal) Well-endowed; with a desired body part notably large. ▸ Specifically, big-breasted.
(informal) Well-endowed; with a desired body part notably large. ▸ Having a large penis.
- I'm the shortest man on the team but in the gym shower everyone can see that I'm also the biggest.
(informal) Well-endowed; with a desired body part notably large. ▸ Having large muscles, especially visible ones such as the chest and arm muscles.
- I've been lifting weights for a full year now, but I'm finally getting big.
(informal) Adult; (of a child) older.
- By midnight, however, the last light had fled / For even big people have then gone to bed[.] 1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher), draft
- We were just playing, and then some big kids came and chased us away.
- Uh oh ... that looks like one of those things the big people don't want us to touch, Marvin! 1998 April 12, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):
- She did it all on her own like a big girl.
- Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.
(informal, of someone's age, rare, slang) Adult; (of a child) older. ▸ Old, mature. Used to imply that someone is too old for something, or acting immaturely.
- I don't think so, if you're shouting at people across the playground at your big age. 2020, Candice Carty-Williams, Notting Hill Carnival:
(informal) Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.
- So the bloke says, 'Fine, that's real big of you, much appreciated,' and off he goes with Big John back to Ferrari's. 2011, Joe Pieri, The Big Men, →ISBN:
- That's very big of you; thank you!
- I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.
(informal) Important or significant.
- The great game of golf offered an antidote to the inevitable dead space — blocks of difficult-to-use hours, pre- and postflight — that are one of business travel’s biggest drags. 2007 September 4, John Berg, “Time on the Greens Beats Time at the Gate”, in The New York Times:
- It proved a big miss as Hoilett produced a sublime finish into the top corner of the net from 20 yards after evading a couple of challenges in first-half stoppage time. 2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3-3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport:
- "It's not about having a catchy strap line, it's about 'why do I come to work every day?' Am I just here to go 'your train is over there'? Or am I here to really influence that person's journey and therefore the perception of the organisation we're working for? There is a bigger picture to this - and that ultimately is what will keep people using our service." 2023 January 25, Cem Davis tells Nick Brodrick, “A warm 'Waterloo family' welcome”, in RAIL, number 975, page 38:
- What's so big about that? I do it all the time.
- "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal." 1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC:
Popular.
- Big in Japan, alright, pay then I'll sleep by your side / Things are easy when you're big in Japan 1984, “Big in Japan”, in Forever Young, performed by Alphaville:
- That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.
(of a city) Populous.
(informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns
- You are a big liar. Why are you in such a big hurry?
- The little suggestions of look and tone; the easy fibs and bigger lies; the tricks of persuasion, the onleading wiles — all these I could not master. 1918, Michael Williams, The Book of the High Romance: A Spiritual Autobiography, page 41:
- Why is it whenever I'm in a big hurry he's always in a big slow? 2007 August 8, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):
(capitalized, humorous, of an industry or other field, often, qualifier:or institution(s) therein, sometimes) Operating on a large scale, especially if therefore having undue or sinister influence.
- “The C.E.O.s don’t want to be testifying. Even having this collective hearing creates a sense of quasi-guilt just because of who else has gotten called in like this — Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, Big Banks,” said Paul Gallant, a tech policy analyst at the investment firm Cowen. “That’s not a crowd they want to be associated with.” 2020 July 28, “Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google Prepare for Their ‘Big Tobacco Moment’”, in New York Times:
- Big Science
- There were concerns about the ethics of big pharma.
- big money
- Big Tech, Big Steel
- After the Airblade’s launch, a battle began to boil, pitting the dryer industry against the world’s most powerful hand-drying lobby: Big Towel. 2019 April 25, Samanth Subramanian, “Hand dryers v paper towels: the surprisingly dirty fight for the right to dry your hands”, in The Guardian:
- Why are you so enthusiastic about putting cantaloupe in your smoothie? Did Big Melon buy you off? [humorous]
(informal) Enthusiastic (about).
- I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.
- Neville is big on standing by his principles and he deserves plaudits for acknowledging he got his starting system wrong, reverting to 4-2-3-1 and introducing Kirby in the No 10 role. 2019 July 2, Louise Taylor, “Alex Morgan heads USA past England into Women’s World Cup final”, in The Guardian:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
biggest	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
bigger	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Translations (457)

pam tanda (adult) · ja 大人 (adult) · bua ехэ (of a great size — see also large) · dtp agayo (of a great size — see also large) · xdq бувху (of a great size — see also large) · sd وَڏو (of a great size — see also large) · hsb wulki (of a great size — see also large) · hts pakapaa (of a great size — see also large) · id agung (of a great size — see also large) · tr büyük (of a great size — see also large) · la magnus (of a great size — see also large) · inh йоккха (of a great size — see also large) · mn их (of a great size — see also large) · bg голя́м (adult) · gd mòr (of a great size — see also large) · ta பெரு (of a great size — see also large) · kum уллу (of a great size — see also large) · nrf grànd (of a great size — see also large) · kmr girs (of a great size — see also large) · kmr zexm (of a great size — see also large) · ab аду (of a great size — see also large) · fa مِهْ (of a great size — see also large) · vi to (of a great size — see also large) · ne ठूलो (of a great size — see also large) · pl duży (of a great size — see also large) · ady шхо (of a great size — see also large) · th โต (adult) · egy aA:a-A-Y1V (of a great size — see also large) · enf ага (of a great size — see also large) · ru вели́кий (of a great size — see also large) · txb orotstse (of a great size — see also large) · tly یال (of a great size — see also large) · iu aktok (adult) · iu angiyok (of a great size — see also large) · br bras (of a great size — see also large) · fi aikuinen (adult) · nl volwassen (adult) · cdo 大 (of a great size — see also large) · ca gros (of a great size — see also large) · kpv ыджыд (of a great size — see also large) · se stuoris (of a great size — see also large) · ia grande (of a great size — see also large) · ru большо́й (adult) · eu handi (of a great size — see also large) · si විශාල (of a great size — see also large) · ur بڑا (of a great size — see also large) · si ලොකු (of a great size — see also large) · is fullorðinn (adult) · wyi woort-to (of a great size — see also large) · ro mare (of a great size — see also large) · sk veľký (of a great size — see also large) · ar كبير (of a great size — see also large) · grc μέγας (of a great size — see also large) · ar كبير (of a great size — see also large) · ast grande (of a great size — see also large) · zdj -huu (of a great size — see also large) · ee gã (of a great size — see also large) · shu كبير (of a great size — see also large) · pms gròss (of a great size — see also large) · hak 大人 (adult) · nah huey (of a great size — see also large) · pga kebiir (of a great size — see also large) · ko 어른 (adult) · bua томо (of a great size — see also large) · ca gran (adult) · vec grando (of a great size — see also large) · rm grand (of a great size — see also large) · ka დიდი (of a great size — see also large) · fur grand (of a great size — see also large) · ivb rakoh (of a great size — see also large) · fj levu (of a great size — see also large) · sa बृहत् (of a great size — see also large) · sv stor (of a great size — see also large) · ibg dakal (of a great size — see also large) · fr grand (adult) · sw pevu (adult) · sh вѐлик (of a great size — see also large) · ms dewasa (adult) · chr ᎡᏆ (of a great size — see also large) · sjd шӯрр (of a great size — see also large) · fa بُزُرْگ (of a great size — see also large) · ig ukwu (of a great size — see also large) · rcf gran (of a great size — see also large) · tl malaki (of a great size — see also large) · sa महत् (of a great size — see also large) · pa ਵੱਡਾ (of a great size — see also large) · ht gwo (of a great size — see also large) · sga mór (of a great size — see also large) · as বৰ (of a great size — see also large) · pl wielki (of a great size — see also large) · ps ستر (adult) · mn том (of a great size — see also large) · my ကြီးမား (of a great size — see also large) · az böyük (of a great size — see also large) · mrw dakola' (of a great size — see also large) · wyi wourrt-ta-boo (of a great size — see also large) · zh 大 (of a great size — see also large) · bug wessa (of a great size — see also large) · oc grand (of a great size — see also large) · zea groôt (of a great size — see also large) · mdf ошо (of a great size — see also large) · ms raya (of a great size — see also large) · kca-eas әнәԓ (of a great size — see also large) · sh vèlik (of a great size — see also large) · pam maragul (of a great size — see also large) · min godang (of a great size — see also large) · ja 成人 (adult) · sm tele (of a great size — see also large) · pa وَڈّا (of a great size — see also large) · xqa بدك (of a great size — see also large) · yrk-for ӈаԓка (of a great size — see also large) · myv ине (of a great size — see also large) · hil daku (of a great size — see also large) · ky чоң (of a great size — see also large) · rm grànd (of a great size — see also large) · sel-nor вәрӄы (of a great size — see also large) · war dako (of a great size — see also large) · ee lolo (of a great size — see also large) · gu મોટું (of a great size — see also large) · af groot (of a great size — see also large) · ar كبير (of a great size — see also large) · cho chito (of a great size — see also large) · sgs dėdėlis (of a great size — see also large) · as ডাঙৰ (of a great size — see also large) · pam madagul (of a great size — see also large) · ban gedé (of a great size — see also large) · he גדול (adult) · xdq хула (of a great size — see also large) · mi nui (of a great size — see also large) · xqa بذك (of a great size — see also large) · cv пысӑк (of a great size — see also large) · qu jatun (of a great size — see also large) · id raya (of a great size — see also large) · pt grande (of a great size — see also large) · ms besar (of a great size — see also large) · pam tua (adult) · fa گت (of a great size — see also large) · xpm xääse (of a great size — see also large) · nl groot (of a great size — see also large) · km ធំ (of a great size — see also large) · vro suur (of a great size — see also large) · kxd basar (of a great size — see also large) · mns-nor яныг (of a great size — see also large) · jv gedhé (of a great size — see also large) · ha bàbba (of a great size — see also large) · ru большо́й (of a great size — see also large) · to lahi (of a great size — see also large) · ms gedang (of a great size — see also large) · kix hàkǜtî (of a great size — see also large) · ar كبير (of a great size — see also large) · esh پیل (of a great size — see also large) · et suur (of a great size — see also large) · ia grosse (of a great size — see also large) · ja 大きい (of a great size — see also large) · xh khulu (of a great size — see also large) · th ใหญ่ (of a great size — see also large) · gld даи (of a great size — see also large) · ota بزرك (of a great size — see also large) · egy wr:r (of a great size — see also large) · vep surʹ (of a great size — see also large) · tyv улуг (of a great size — see also large) · kjh улуғ (of a great size — see also large) · oj gichi- (of a great size — see also large) · ru кру́пный (of a great size — see also large) · la grandis (of a great size — see also large) · zun łana (of a great size — see also large) · fa بزرگ (of a great size — see also large) · ps ستر (of a great size — see also large) · chc tro (of a great size — see also large) · kl angisooq (of a great size — see also large) · vot suuri (of a great size — see also large) · oj chi- (of a great size — see also large) · rap nui (of a great size — see also large) · nn stor (of a great size — see also large) · fr gros (of a great size — see also large) · sat ᱰᱳᱵᱳ (of a great size — see also large) · ist grando (of a great size — see also large) · syl ꠛꠠꠧ (of a great size — see also large) · lad grande (of a great size — see also large) · om guddaa (of a great size — see also large) · id besar (of a great size — see also large) · ryu まぎさん (of a great size — see also large) · fa کَلَان (of a great size — see also large) · csm ˀýṭ·y·kyta- (of a great size — see also large) · az böyük (adult) · lb grouss (of a great size — see also large) · fa کلان (of a great size — see also large) · vi lớn (of a great size — see also large) · ml വലിയ (of a great size — see also large) · ko 크다 (of a great size — see also large) · yrl wasú (of a great size — see also large) · ce доккха (of a great size — see also large) · sk veľký (adult) · ang miċel (of a great size — see also large) · wa grand (of a great size — see also large) · kmr mezin (of a great size — see also large) · gug tuvicha (of a great size — see also large) · pt maior (adult) · fi iso (of a great size — see also large) · crk ᒥᓯ (of a great size — see also large) · zkb урга (of a great size — see also large) · sw kubwa (of a great size — see also large) · cs velký (of a great size — see also large) · ota قوجه (of a great size — see also large) · xal ик (of a great size — see also large) · tsg dakula (of a great size — see also large) · nio аніˮә (of a great size — see also large) · de groß (of a great size — see also large) · krc уллу (of a great size — see also large) · hy մեծ (adult) · nv tsoh (of a great size — see also large) · gug tuicha (of a great size — see also large) · akk 𒃲 (of a great size — see also large) · yag manakata (of a great size — see also large) · hi विशाल (of a great size — see also large) · tvo lamo (of a great size — see also large) · mqs lamo (of a great size — see also large) · tft lamo (of a great size — see also large) · it grosso (of a great size — see also large) · te పెద్ద (of a great size — see also large) · ckb گەورە (of a great size — see also large) · rup mari (of a great size — see also large) · it grande (of a great size — see also large) · anq huʈʰu (of a great size — see also large) · nrf grand (adult) · got 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (of a great size — see also large) · mbb dekela' (of a great size — see also large) · gv mooar (of a great size — see also large) · tl malaki (adult) · cic ishto' (of a great size — see also large) · ln -nene (of a great size — see also large) · ar كَبِير (of a great size — see also large) · lv liels (of a great size — see also large) · tt зур (of a great size — see also large) · ttj -kooto (of a great size — see also large) · ta பெரிய (of a great size — see also large) · cu великъ (of a great size — see also large) · niv пилдь (of a great size — see also large) · wyi buladu (of a great size — see also large) · yrk-tun ӈарка (of a great size — see also large) · hu felnőtt (adult) · syl ꠛꠣꠘ꠆ꠒꠣ (of a great size — see also large) · za hung (of a great size — see also large) · pam dinagul (adult) · smn styeres (of a great size — see also large) · csb wiôldżi (of a great size — see also large) · ca gran (of a great size — see also large) · roa-opt grande (of a great size — see also large) · dlg улакан (of a great size — see also large) · sw kubwa (adult) · fa کَلَان (of a great size — see also large) · an gran (of a great size — see also large) · kgp mág (of a great size — see also large) · tk uly (of a great size — see also large) · uz katta (of a great size — see also large) · sva ძღჷდ (of a great size — see also large) · am ታላቁ (of a great size — see also large) · he גָּדוֹל (of a great size — see also large) · ar كَبِير (adult) · zza pil (of a great size — see also large) · mt kbir (of a great size — see also large) · uk вели́кий (adult) · fa کٹه (of a great size — see also large) · fa بزرگسال (adult) · zh 大 (of a great size — see also large) · sah улахан (of a great size — see also large) · kix shōng (of a great size — see also large) · gug guasu (of a great size — see also large) · zu khulu (of a great size — see also large) · khb ᦺᦊᧈ (of a great size — see also large) · fi suuri (of a great size — see also large) · hi बड़ा (of a great size — see also large) · bh बड़हन (of a great size — see also large) · pis bigfala (of a great size — see also large) · hy մեծ (of a great size — see also large) · yrl turusú (of a great size — see also large) · sa मह (of a great size — see also large) · rth lowen (of a great size — see also large) · fo stórur (of a great size — see also large) · nap gruosso (of a great size — see also large) · hi विराट (of a great size — see also large) · luz گت (of a great size — see also large) · ps غټ (of a great size — see also large) · eo granda (of a great size — see also large) · bg въ́зрастен (adult) · min basa (of a great size — see also large) · zza gırd (diq) (of a great size — see also large) · mr विशाल (of a great size — see also large) · bn বড় (of a great size — see also large) · co grande (of a great size — see also large) · lo ໂຕ (of a great size — see also large) · atv улуг (of a great size — see also large) · ttt kələ (of a great size — see also large) · fa بُزُرْگ (of a great size — see also large) · tyz cải (of a great size — see also large) · rom baro (of a great size — see also large) · uga 𐎗𐎁 (of a great size — see also large) · fur grant (of a great size — see also large) · oj michaa (of a great size — see also large) · hak 大 (of a great size — see also large) · oj gichi-aya'aa (adult) · yue 大 (of a great size — see also large) · gur kãtɛ (of a great size — see also large) · it grande (adult) · bkt -nene (of a great size — see also large) · xqa اُلُغْ (of a great size — see also large) · be вялі́кі (of a great size — see also large) · or ବଡ (of a great size — see also large) · tpn eburusu (t-) (of a great size — see also large) · blt ꪻꪐ꪿ (of a great size — see also large) · ckb زل (of a great size — see also large) · kmr mezin (adult) · lo ໃຫຍ່ (of a great size — see also large) · ccc s̈hojta (of a great size — see also large) · gag büük (of a great size — see also large) · ms orang dewasa (adult) · orv великъ (of a great size — see also large) · ceb dako (of a great size — see also large) · sel-sou уарх (of a great size — see also large) · hu nagy (of a great size — see also large) · tpn gûasu (of a great size — see also large) · hi वयस्क (adult) · mtm орго (of a great size — see also large) · pl duży (adult) · es adulto (adult) · io granda (of a great size — see also large) · myv покш (of a great size — see also large) · ps غټ (adult) · unm kit- (of a great size — see also large) · roa-tar granne (of a great size — see also large) · ko 성인 (adult) · mi nunui (of a great size — see also large) · inh доккха (of a great size — see also large) · rm grond (of a great size — see also large) · yue 大人 (adult) · da stor (of a great size — see also large) · ug چوڭ (of a great size — see also large) · so weyn (of a great size — see also large) · xas урго (of a great size — see also large) · fa کټه (of a great size — see also large) · ga mór (of a great size — see also large) · pa ਬੜਾ (of a great size — see also large) · crk ᑭᐢᒋ (of a great size — see also large) · my ကြီး (of a great size — see also large) · evn хэгды (of a great size — see also large) · avd بزرگ (of a great size — see also large) · rue великый (of a great size — see also large) · krl šuuri (of a great size — see also large) · ota بویوك (of a great size — see also large) · cy mawr (of a great size — see also large) · es mayor (adult) · dsb wjeliki (of a great size — see also large) · bg пора́снал (adult) · srn bigi (of a great size — see also large) · alt јаан (of a great size — see also large) · az yekə (adult) · ko 큰 (of a great size — see also large) · scn granni (of a great size — see also large) · uk вели́кий (of a great size — see also large) · aii ܪܲܒܵܐ (of a great size — see also large) · btm godang (of a great size — see also large) · min bosa (of a great size — see also large) · is stór (of a great size — see also large) · el μεγάλος (of a great size — see also large) · sl velik (of a great size — see also large) · yi גרויס (of a great size — see also large) · tr ulu (of a great size — see also large) · udm бадӟым (of a great size — see also large) · ee gã (adult) · iu innark (adult) · mnc ᠠᠮᠪᠠ (of a great size — see also large) · la adultus (adult) · sah бөдөҥ (of a great size — see also large) · sv vuxen (adult) · enh ага (of a great size — see also large) · shi imɣur (of a great size — see also large) · vec grant (of a great size — see also large) · kpy нымэйӈыӄин (of a great size — see also large) · vi bự (of a great size — see also large) · min gadang (of a great size — see also large) · haw nui (of a great size — see also large) · cjs улуғ (of a great size — see also large) · fa گنده (of a great size — see also large) · kpy нымэйыӈӄин (of a great size — see also large) · ota اولو (of a great size — see also large) · alt улу (of a great size — see also large) · ota ایری (of a great size — see also large) · lrc گت (of a great size — see also large) · mhn groas (of a great size — see also large) · nan-hbl 大人 (adult) · pdt groot (nds) (of a great size — see also large) · tpn usu (of a great size — see also large) · aii ܟܲܒܝܼܪܵܐ (of a great size — see also large) · zh да (of a great size — see also large) · zh 大 (of a great size — see also large) · lkt tȟáŋka (of a great size — see also large) · ckb گەورە (adult) · sq madh (of a great size — see also large) · sel-sou варӷ (of a great size — see also large) · vo gretik (of a great size — see also large) · nl omvangrijk (of a great size — see also large) · cmn 大人 (adult) · mlm lo⁴ (of a great size — see also large) · fa کَتَه (of a great size — see also large) · kmr gir (of a great size — see also large) · mh ļap (of a great size — see also large) · kk үлкен (of a great size — see also large) · pt adulto (adult) · aii ܓܘܼܪܵܐ (of a great size — see also large) · hit 𒊩𒇷𒅖 (of a great size — see also large) · os стыр (of a great size — see also large) · oc gròs (of a great size — see also large) · mos kãsenga (of a great size — see also large) · su ageung (of a great size — see also large) · mk го́лем (adult) · lmy madaka (of a great size — see also large) · mk голем (of a great size — see also large) · es grande (of a great size — see also large) · av кӏудияб (of a great size — see also large) · ltg lels (of a great size — see also large) · ba ҙур (of a great size — see also large) · lt didelis (of a great size — see also large) · gl grande (of a great size — see also large) · mww loj (of a great size — see also large) · nrf grand (of a great size — see also large) · mhr кугу (of a great size — see also large) · tg бузург (of a great size — see also large) · kn ದೊಡ್ಡ (of a great size — see also large) · ht gran (of a great size — see also large) · kw bras (of a great size — see also large) · tt олы (of a great size — see also large) · lmo grand (of a great size — see also large) · fy grut (of a great size — see also large) · tpn urusu (t-) (of a great size — see also large) · bo ཆེན་པོ (of a great size — see also large) · fi iso (adult) · pap grandi (of a great size — see also large) · mfe gran (of a great size — see also large) · ota بیوك (of a great size — see also large) · as ডাঙৰ (adult) · kk зор (of a great size — see also large) · izh suur (of a great size — see also large) · rgn grând (of a great size — see also large) · dbl bulgan (of a great size — see also large) · aho 𑜐𑜧 (of a great size — see also large) · pa بَڑا (of a great size — see also large) · kcn kebir (of a great size — see also large) · qu hatun (of a great size — see also large) · ket қя (of a great size — see also large) · nb stor (of a great size — see also large) · sk dospelý (adult) · bqi گت (of a great size — see also large) · bg голя́м (of a great size — see also large) · fr grand (of a great size — see also large) · isd dakkal (of a great size — see also large) · de groß (adult) · mk во́зрасен (adult)

big en · ADV · etymology 1

Pronunciation

(UK) audio
bĭg
/bɪɡ/
(US) audio

Etymology

Meanings

In a loud manner.
In a boasting manner.
- He's always talking big, but he never delivers.
In a large amount or to a large extent.
- He won big betting on the croquet championship.
- According to the Digital Marketing Institute, influencer marketing campaigns are paying off big for brands, generating roughly $5.78 for every dollar spent. 2026 March 9, Cyrus Veyssi, “In Defense of Influencers”, in TIME, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2026:
- Don't miss our November sale — it's your last chance to save big before Christmas!
(informal) In a large amount or to a large extent. ▸ (modifying a preposition)
- I've always been big into sport, but I'm especially big into football.
On a large scale, expansively.
- 'You've got to put it over big,' he was saying in a loud nasal voice. 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 3, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 25:
- You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.
(colloquial) Hard; with great force.
- He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
biggest	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
bigger	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Synonyms

bigly · greatly · bigly · massively · hugely · massively · largely · greatly · largely · hugely

big en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

(UK) audio
bĭg
/bɪɡ/
(US) audio

Etymology

Meanings

Someone or something that is large in stature.
- You could throw out everything else, but I had the speed to split double-teams. Like, go at double-teams numerous times in a possession, on consecutive possessions where I'm testing your endurance, your bigs. 2019, Derrick Rose, Sam Smith, I'll Show You:
An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.
(in-plural) The big leagues, big time.
- In the Appalachian League, where Cal Ripken once played in Bluefield, W.Va., a ballplayer's chances of making it to the bigs are less than one in six. 2004 June 23, Michelle Boorstein, “Ballclub’s Pullout Caps Va. Town’s Run of Woes; Struggling Martinsville No Longer Celebrates Its Boys of Summer”, in Washington Post:
(qualifier:university slang) An initiated member of a sorority or fraternity who acts as a mentor to a new member (the little).
- Some traditions of the chapter include lineages with bigs and littles, receiving of paddles from a big, and a national stroll, Wolsch-Gallia said. 2022 September 27, Shreya Varrier, “Gamma Rho Lambda provides LGBTQIA+ community in greek life”, in Iowa State Daily, archived from the original on 08 Feb 2023:
- She added that the relationship between bigs and littles is "what each pair makes of it," and that a lot of the pairs often get dinner together and become close friends. 2019 April 1, Audrey Steinkamp, “Sororities pair new members with "bigs"”, in Yale Daily News, archived from the original on 20 Feb 2026:
- He was there the night of Cristoph's party. All the littles were assigned to their bigs. Ian and Christoph had rushed the same fraternity. When they became upperclassmen, they both ended up on the board. 2018, Kelly Ann Gonzales, Through an Opaque Window:
The participant in age roleplay who acts out the older role.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
bigs	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Antonyms

little

Synonyms

big leagues · big shot

big en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

(UK) audio
bĭg
/bɪɡ/
(US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English biggen, byggen, from Old Norse byggja, byggva (“to build, dwell in, inhabit”), a secondary form of Old Norse búa (“to dwell”), related to Old English būan (“to dwell”). Cognate with Danish bygge, Swedish bygga.

Meanings

(Northern-England, Scotland, UK, archaic, dialectal, transitive) To inhabit; occupy.
(Northern-England, Scotland, UK, archaic, dialectal, reflexive) To locate oneself.
(Northern-England, Scotland, UK, archaic, dialectal, transitive) To build; erect; fashion.
- Don't big it up.
(Northern-England, Scotland, UK, archaic, dialectal, intransitive) To dwell; have a dwelling.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Source
bigged	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
bigged	Tense=Past	lexicographic
bigging	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
bigs	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic

Deriveds

unbigged

big en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

(UK) audio
bĭg
/bɪɡ/
(US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English byge, from Old Norse bygg (“barley, probably Hordeum vulgare, common barley”), from Proto-Germanic *bewwuz (“crop, barley”). Cognate with Old English bēow (“barley”).

Meanings

(Northern-England, Scotland, UK, archaic, dialectal, uncountable) One or more kinds of barley, especially six-rowed barley.
- The poor lass was sitting bemoaning herself - "Were it nae for thy girning face, I would knock the big, winnow the corn, and grun the meal," - "Lowse the cradle-band," said the child, "and tent the neighbours, and I'll work yere work." Up he started - the wind arose - the corn was chopped - the outlyers were foddered - the hand-mill moved around, as by instinct - and the knocking-mill did its work with amazing rapidity. 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume II, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 167:

Forms

Spelling	Labels	Source
bygge	alternative	lexicographic
bygg	alternative	lexicographic
bigg	alternative	lexicographic

Dictionary

big en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Deriveds

Descendants

Hyponyms

Synonyms

Translations (457)

big en · ADV · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Synonyms

big en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Synonyms

big en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Deriveds

big en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms