big
big
I
/ˈbıg/ adj , big·ger, -gest
1 : large in size
a big house/room/field
a big glass of soda
He is a big [=tall and heavy] man.
She moved to a bigger city.
the biggest city in the state
The tent is big enough for 10 people. [=there is enough space in the tent for 10 people]
A great big [=very large, huge] truck pulled up beside us.
I can't understand her writing; she uses too many big words. [=long words that many people don't know the meaning of]
— see also the big city at city
2 : large in number or amount
He led a big group through the museum.
She was earning big money [=a lot of money] as a lawyer.
— see also big bucks
3 : involving or including many people, things, etc.
She works for a big company.
He organized a big advertising campaign.
We had a big fund-raiser for the school.
4 always used before a noun
4 a : tending to do something more often than most people
He's a big eater. [=he often eats large amounts of food]
She's a big shopper. [=she shops often]
4 b : feeling or showing a lot of excitement or enthusiasm
I'm a big fan of their music.
He gave me a big smile/hug.
5 : important or significant
She became a big star in movies.
He's big in local politics.
The changes will have a big [=major] impact on the community.
Our biggest concern is for the safety of the children.
This job is my big chance.
The movie was a big flop.
They have big plans for the future.
She was a big [=great] help during his illness.
Buying this car was a big [=serious] mistake.
I was nervous in the weeks leading up to the wedding day, but felt surprisingly calm on the day of the big event.
Tomorrow is the big day. [=the day that something important happens]
Her suggestion made a big difference [=led to important changes] in the final product.
She wanted to go in a big way. [=very much, badly]
— see also big deal, big picture
6 always used before a noun informal
— used to express strong dislike or disapproval
You're nothing but a big sissy/bully!
If you marry her you're an even bigger fool [=you're even more of a fool] than I thought you were!
7 informal : older or more grown up
my big [=older] sister/brother
He's a big boy now. [=he is less like a baby now]
— see also big boys,
8 : very popular
That toy is always a big seller.
The band was a big hit abroad.
Her books are big with teenagers.
She thinks longer skirts will be big this year.
Designers will discuss the next big thing [=a future trend] in home decorating.
9 : generous or kind
It was big of him to forgive them after the way they treated him.
She was big about it and invited him along.
He has a big heart. [=he is a kind person]
— sometimes used in an ironic way to say that someone is not being very generous or kind
You can spare us a whole five minutes of your time? Well, that's big of you!
see also big-hearted
10 : very strong, forceful, etc.
There was a big [=powerful] storm last night.
(as) big as life — see life, 1
big fish in a small/little pond — see fish, 1
big on
informal : very enthusiastic about (something)
He's big on stamp collecting. [=he likes collecting stamps very much]
She's not (very) big on dancing.
big with child
old-fashioned : pregnant and almost ready to give birth
a woman who was big with child
too big for your britches (US) (
informal : too confident or proud of yourself
I think the boss is growing too big for his britches.
big·ness noun [ noncount ]
the bigness of the city
————————
II
adv
1 : in a big way
They won/lost big [=they won/lost a large amount] at the casino.
2 : in a way that is meant to impress people
He talks big about his plans, but he hasn't done much yet.
go over big
informal : to be successful or well-liked
Here's a recipe for healthy cookies that always goes over big with kids. [=that children like a lot]
make it big (
informal : to become very successful
He always dreamed of making it big in the movie industry.
Her best friend hit it big playing the stock market.
think big
: to think about doing things that involve a lot of people, money, effort, etc. : to think about doing big things
If we're going to start our own business, we should think big.
