big
pronunciation
How to pronounce big in British English:
UK [bɪɡ]
How to pronounce big in American English:
US [bɪɡ]
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- Adjective:
- above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
- significant
- of very great significance
- conspicuous in position or importance
- very intense
- loud and firm
- prodigious
- (of animals) fully developed
- marked by intense physical force
- feeling self-importance
- older brother or sister
- exhibiting self-importance
- generous and understanding and tolerant
- given or giving freely
- in an advanced stage of pregnancy
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- Adverb:
- extremely well
- in a boastful manner
- on a grand scale
- in a major way
Word Origin
- big
- big: [13] Big is one of the notorious mystery words of English etymology – extremely common in the modern language, but of highly dubious origin. In its earliest use in English it meant ‘powerful, strong’, and it is not really until the 16th century that we get unequivocal examples of it in the modern sense ‘large’. It occurs originally in northern texts, only slowly spreading south, which suggests that it may be of Scandinavian origin; some have compared Norwegian dialect bugge ‘important man’.
- big (adj.)
- c. 1300, northern England dialect, "powerful, strong," of obscure origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian dialectal bugge "great man"). Old English used micel in many of the same senses. Meaning "of great size" is late 14c.; that of "grown up" is attested from 1550s. Sense of "important" is from 1570s. Meaning "generous" is U.S. colloquial by 1913. Big band as a musical style is from 1926. Slang big head "conceit" is first recorded 1850. Big business "large commercial firms collectively" is 1905; big house "penitentiary" is U.S. underworld slang first attested 1915 (in London, "a workhouse," 1851). In financial journalism, big ticket items so called from 1956. Big lie is from Hitler's grosse Lüge.
Example
- 1. And there are some big ones ahead .
- 2. No other country has as big a surplus .
- 3. But the big picture is clear .
- 4. There are also big political hurdles .
- 5. Small steps bring big results .