big
- 01 A1 Beginner
adj.having a large size or being very heavy.
adj.of considerable size, extent, or intensity. Usually gradable.
Simple“They live in a big house with five bedrooms and a garden.”
In context“The developers proposed a big expansion of the shopping centre, despite local concerns regarding increased traffic congestion.”
PitfallI have a big brother. I have an older brother.While 'big brother' is common, use 'older' to talk specifically about age rather than physical size.
- 02 A2 Elementary
adj.important or powerful.
adj.significant, influential, or prominent within a particular context.
Simple“This is a big decision that will change your whole life.”
In context“Securing the contract with the national health service was a big win for the startup, ensuring their financial stability for the next decade.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 A2 Elementary
adj.older or more adult, often used when talking to children.
adj.denoting an older sibling or a child who has reached a certain level of maturity.
Simple“You are a big girl now, so you can tie your own shoes.”
In context“The teacher encouraged the big kids to help the toddlers during the joint playground session.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
adj.very popular or successful.
adj.highly successful or widely popular in a specific market or culture.
Simple“K-pop is really big in Europe right now.”
In context“The brand became big in the mid-nineties after several high-profile celebrities were spotted wearing their signature denim jackets.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
adj.liking something very much.
adj.demonstrating strong interest or enthusiasm for a particular activity or subject.
Simple“My brother is a big fan of old jazz music.”
In context“Although she isn't big on team sports, she spends several hours every morning training for long-distance marathons.”
UsageUsually followed by the preposition 'on'.
Synonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
adj.used to describe large companies that have too much power.
adj.referring to large-scale corporate or industrial interests, often implying a cynical or manipulative influence.
Simple“Some people are worried about the power of Big Tech companies.”
In context“The documentary investigates how Big Oil lobbied against environmental regulations throughout the late twentieth century.”
UsageUsually capitalized and placed before a noun like 'Pharma', 'Tech', or 'Oil'.
- 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.in a way that is large or successful.
adv.to a great extent or on a large scale; often used with verbs like 'think' or 'win'.
Simple“If you want to succeed in business, you have to think big.”
In context“The venture capitalist advised the founders to dream big but maintain a rigorous focus on their immediate quarterly targets.”
SynonymsextensivelygrandlyAntonyms - 08 C2 Proficiency
n.an important or powerful person in a group.
n.an individual of importance, power, or influence within a specific hierarchy.
Simple“He's one of the bigs in the advertising world.”
In context“After years in the minor leagues, the pitcher finally got the call to join the bigs in New York.”
Teacher's tipOften used in the phrase 'the bigs' to refer to the major leagues in sports.
Usage big part · big difference · big enough
Inherited from Northern Middle English big, bigge (“powerful, strong”), possibly from a dialect of Old Norse. Ultimately perhaps a derivative of Proto-Germanic bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”), in which case big would be related to bogey, bugbear, and bug. Compare dialectal Norwegian bugge (“great man”), Low German Bögge, Boggelmann.
From Middle English biggen, byggen, from Old Norse byggja, byggva (“to build, dwell in, inhabit”), a secondary form of Old Norse búa (“to dwell”), related to Old English būan (“to dwell”). Cognate with Danish bygge, Swedish bygga.
From Middle English byge, from Old Norse bygg (“barley, probably Hordeum vulgare, common barley”), from Proto-Germanic *bewwuz (“crop, barley”). Cognate with Old English bēow (“barley”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.