1
as in excellent
of the very best kind
this cake is great!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skillful
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor
one of the great anthropologists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in noble
having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature
a great humanitarian great acts of charity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in long
lasting for a considerable time
haven't seen them in a great while
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in large
of a size greater than average of its kind
saw a great moose calmly walking through our backyard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
she's great on any type of sport that requires endurance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in greatest
coming before all others in importance
regards global warming as the great issue of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station
a descendant of one of the great families of Philadelphia
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nicely
in a pleasing way
the game was going great for the home team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 great
Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Now in their 80s and 90s, the dwindling survivors of NASA's greatest generation would also like to see more enthusiasm for Artemis.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Mar. 2026
Jay Woods, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.
—Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for great
Adjective
Shail Deep, chief operating officer for EMEA and APAC at global financial data and technology company Experian, believes that regulation is what enables great innovation.
—Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Now in their 80s and 90s, the dwindling survivors of NASA's greatest generation would also like to see more enthusiasm for Artemis.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
These should be great longer-term entry points.
—Jay Woods, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.
—Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for great
Recent Examples of Synonyms for great
Adjective
-
Apple has somehow emerged from the global hardware shortage as a value buy, with its MacBook Neo offering an excellent modern computing experience for a mere $600.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Harbor locals should boast that one of the county’s singularly excellent pizzerias is in their backyard.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Newport’s skillful direction drives the more than 3½-hour play (including two intermissions), making every minute count.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Finnish native Margareta Martin brought enthusiasm and skillful organizing following a move to Atlanta, a dynamic that helped establish a wide variety of cultural, business, artistic and culinary links between the Nordic world and here.—
Mark Woolsey,
AJC.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Set the scene Set back from Via del Corso, one of Rome’s main arteries, this former noble palazzo, the 15th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, was also a bank before its present incarnation.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In the 20th century dozens of movies chronicled their adventures, with each era casting its leading man as the noble, brave and loyal, leading musketeer.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The road to the very long lines began in February, when Congress, in resolving a broader government shutdown (the second in four months, impressively), could not agree on how to keep funding Homeland Security.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But research also suggests that slower walking performed over a longer duration may initially produce greater total fat loss in overweight individuals than faster walking performed for shorter periods.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The school year in West Ada will come to a close in a couple of months, but Idaho’s largest school district is gearing up for a big change.—
Noah Daly,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Mar. 2026
-
It was hung roughly a year after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, to express solidarity with the twelve hundred people who were murdered—in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—and with the two hundred and fifty-one people Hamas had abducted.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
White is excited about his future, and plans to perform at this year's Minnesota State Fair.—
Tony Peterson,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But the nail in the coffin for her family was the bike course, which her niece was most excited for.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Because the feudal courts, chivalric codes, and aristocratic patronage that had sustained it were gone.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The poisoning of a champion stallion opens an investigation that starts to expose tensions and secrets inside an aristocratic horse breeding dynasty.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
It was well appointed and modern, with a sleek and nicely stocked wet bar, and curtains that swiftly opened or closed at the touch of a button.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And that should pair nicely with an offense the club expects to be fantastic.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Great.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/great. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
