big 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbig How to pronounce big (audio)
Definition of bignext
1
as in large
of a size greater than average of its kind bought a big apple to quench his raging appetite

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect there will be a big meeting to resolve the issue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in great
having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature how big of you to give your subordinates most of the credit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in rich
having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor) inexperienced wine drinkers should not start with such a big wine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in main
coming before all others in importance the big story that year was the election of the president

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in fashionable
enjoying widespread favor or approval jackets with very wide lapels were big that year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body a mare big with a foal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

big

2 of 2

noun

1
as in heavy
one of high position or importance within a group with that new promotion he's now one of the bigs in the company

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in major league
usually bigs plural the highest level of a field of endeavor a candidate who is running for president is playing in the bigs and cannot afford to make major mistakes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of big
Adjective
Professional hair care in Europe is still super big and growing a lot. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026 There were probably 200-plus people there, with a lot of big ideas, interesting ideas, amazing ideas. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
Unfortunately, the less said about China’s guards, the better; their main job is to get the ball past half court without turning it over and then feed the bigs. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 That is a remarkable incentive, if not catnip, to send Condon to the bigs. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for big
Recent Examples of Synonyms for big
  1. large
  2. major
  3. great
  4. rich
  5. main
  6. fashionable
  7. pregnant
  8. heavy
Adjective
  • Hence, a turbine operating hundreds of meters above the ground has access to a larger and potentially more reliable energy resource than a conventional turbine.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the proliferation of large new data centers is rivaling inflation and the Iran war as midterm political issues--and, like them, is hurting the Republicans.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of large
Adjective
  • Wildfires encroached on major European cities, a once unthinkable threat.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • These five rising, behind-the-scenes maestros have worked on major hits for such likely 2027 contenders as Noah Kahan, Ariana Grande and Rosalía — and could be first-time nominees in the category.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of major
Adjective
  • The rich collections do a great job of honoring visual traditions and explaining their connections to real people and real places.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Despite deep-rooted tensions between southerners and the PLC, both are in agreement that the Houthi threat is far greater than that of the other.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • The whole brims with a sense of place, weaving the capital’s rich artistic heritage into a background that is unashamedly luxurious.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The administration's plan to allow more imports of foreign beef has particularly roiled the agriculture-rich state of Nebraska.
    — NICHOLAS INGRAM, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of rich
Adjective
  • Homegrown chip design firm SkyeChip also enjoyed a blockbuster IPO on the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange in May, surging 300% on its main market debut.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • AbdulSalam Mohammed, president of the Abaad Studies & Research Center and an adviser to Yemen’s Information Ministry, told the Washington Examiner that government forces are currently focused on defending against the Houthis along three main axes.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • This 15-room Georgian-era townhouse, tucked away in a residential street in Gardens (a fashionable neighborhood known for its restaurants, bars, and interior shops), is full of surprises.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Van Wissen and Lupker hope to expand the service to such fashionable cities as London, New York, Milan and Los Angeles, and are eyeing emerging destinations like Turkey and Morocco, too.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fashionable
Adjective
  • Ryan was more than eight months pregnant at the time, and Linton is also charged with killing her fetus.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Less than a year after her son’s birth, Dowling tried to get pregnant again, opting for the same add-ons as before—with no luck.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Noun
  • This is not the most visually appealing app on the market as bet365 is typically more text-heavy anyway.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the major averages, rising 2% for the week, while the S & P 500 jumped 1%.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of heavy

Phrases Containing big

Browse Nearby Words

bifurcations
big
bigamies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Big.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/big. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All