big
big Lexical Profile
big Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of considerable size, extent, volume, or capacity; larger than average.
"They moved into a big house with a spacious garden."
Of great importance, significance, influence, or seriousness.
"Accepting the fellowship abroad was a big step in her academic career."
Grown-up or older, especially referring to an elder sibling or someone reaching maturity.
"Her big brother helped her prepare for the chemistry exam."
Very popular, successful, or enthusiastic about something.
"Indie folk music became really big on college campuses that year."
• adverb
On a grand, ambitious, or impressive scale; with great success.
"The startup founders were encouraged to think big when pitching to investors."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'big' and 'large' overlap when describing physical dimensions, 'big' is more informal and versatile, frequently used for abstract concepts of importance or maturity (e.g., 'a big decision', 'my big sister') where 'large' would sound unnatural.
• Rhymes for big
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in Middle English as 'bigge' (originally meaning strong or mighty) in northern dialects, likely borrowed from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse 'bugge' (important or wealthy man).