Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Large in size, extent, or amount: "big" primarily describes something of considerable physical dimensions, quantity, or scale.
   • Significant, important: "big" can describe something of great importance, consequence, or prominence.
   • Generous, magnanimous: "big" can describe a person who is liberal, giving, or tolerant in spirit.
   • Adult, mature: "big" can describe a person or animal that is fully grown or developed.
   • Boastful, self-important: "big" can describe speech, behavior, or an attitude that is arrogant, proud, or pretentious.
   • Intense, forceful: "big" can describe something powerful, loud, or severe.

2. Adverb:

   • On a large scale, to a great degree: "big" describes an action done in a major, significant, or impressive way.
   • Boastfully: "big" describes speaking in an arrogant or bragging manner.
   • Successfully, very well: "big" describes something that is received or performed extremely well.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • They live in a big house. (Describing large physical size.)
  • Graduation is a big day. (Describing importance.)
  • It was very big of you to forgive them. (Describing a generous spirit.)
  • The big wind knocked down trees. (Describing intensity.)
  • He's just a kid trying to sound big. (Describing boastful talk.)

• Adverb:

  • The company is thinking big for its next project. (Acting on a grand scale.)
  • He always talks big about his accomplishments. (Speaking boastfully.)
  • The new product launched big in the Asian market. (Achieving great success.)

Advanced Usage

• "to go over big": to be very successful or well-received.
  • Her speech went over big with the audience.
• "too big for one's boots/breeches": conceited, overly self-important.
  • Ever since he got promoted, he's been too big for his boots.
• "big on (something)": very enthusiastic about or committed to something.
  • She's really big on environmental conservation.

Variants and Related Words

• Biggie (noun, informal): an important person or thing.
  • He's a biggie in the tech industry.
• Bigness (noun): the quality or state of being big.
  • The sheer bigness of the cathedral was awe-inspiring.

Synonyms

• Adjective (size/importance): Large, huge, major, significant, substantial, great.
• Adjective (generous): Generous, magnanimous, liberal, openhanded.
• Adjective (boastful): Boastful, bragging, swaggering, pompous.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Big up (verb, informal): to praise or promote someone/something enthusiastically.
  • The DJ bigged up the local artists during his set.
• Big out (verb, informal, chiefly UK): to lose one's composure, to panic or overreact.
  • Don't big out; we can solve this problem.

Related Idioms

• Big fish in a small pond: an important person only within a limited context.
  • He was a big fish in a small pond at his old company.
• Big time (adverb/noun, informal): to a great extent; a high level of success.
  • They messed up big time. / He's finally made it to the big time.
• In a big way: to a great degree or extent.
  • They celebrate holidays in a big way.

Adjective

1. in an advanced stage of pregnancy
   • was big with child
   • was great with child
2. given or giving freely
   • was a big tipper
   • the bounteous goodness of God
   • bountiful compliments
   • a freehanded host
   • a handsome allowance
   • Saturday's child is loving and giving
   • a liberal backer of the arts
   • a munificent gift
   • her fond and openhanded grandfather
3. generous and understanding and tolerant
   • a heart big enough to hold no grudges
   • that's very big of you to be so forgiving
   • a large and generous spirit
   • a large heart
   • magnanimous toward his enemies
4. marked by intense physical force
   • a big wind
5. (of animals) fully developed
   • an adult animal
   • a grown woman
6. feeling self-importance
   • too big for his britches
   • had a swelled head
   • he was swelled with pride
7. exhibiting self-importance
   • big talk
8. prodigious
   • big spender
   • big eater
   • heavy investor
9. conspicuous in position or importance
   • a big figure in the movement
   • big man on campus
   • he's very large in financial circles
   • a prominent citizen
10. loud and firm
    • a big voice
    • big bold piano sounds
11. very intense
    • a bad headache
    • in a big rage
    • had a big (or bad) shock
    • a bad earthquake
    • a bad storm
12. significant
    • graduation was a big day in his life
13. above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
    • a large city
    • set out for the big city
    • a large sum
    • a big (or large) barn
    • a large family
    • big businesses
    • a big expenditure
    • a large number of newspapers
    • a big group of scientists
    • large areas of the world

Adverb

1. in a major way
   • the play failed big at the box office
2. on a grand scale
   • think big
3. in a boastful manner
   • he talked big all evening
4. extremely well
   • his performance went over big