When we are small, everything seems so big.
Source: tatoeba (2033)
Big
/bɪɡ/
Synonyms for "big" (289 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (58)
Adjective(13 words)
adultaggrandizedampleapotheosizedarrogantartlessartyawashawesomeawfulawfullybeatifiedbenevolentbig boybig cheesebig leaguebig namebig noisebig shotbig time
Adverb(1 words)
Strong matches (87)
consequentialconsiderableconsideratecopiouscrammedcrazycrowdeddamneddeifieddistendeddomineeringdouble-barreleddreadfuldreadfullyearthshakingelevatedeminentennobledenshrinedenthroned
Show 46 more words
exaltedexcellentexpansiveexpectantexpectingextensiveextravagantextremelyfatflushedfullfull to burstinggassygenerousgiganticglorifiedgluttedgonegoodlygrandgravidgreatgreat gungreat of heartgreatheartedgreatlygrossgrowngrown upgrown-uphandsomehaughtyhealthyheavyheavyweightheftyheld in aweheroichighhigh and mightyhigh flownhigh poweredhigh-falutinghigh-flownhigh-headedhigh-minded
Related words (144)
high-nosedhigh-poweredhigh-soundinghigh-swellinghighfalutinhighfalutinghoity toityhoity-toityhugelyhulkinghuskyidealisticimmortalimmortalizedimportantimposinginflatedknightlylargelarge scale
Show 89 more words
large-scalelargeheartedliberallionloftylongluminarymagnanimousmagnifiedmainmajormajor leagueman-sizedmarriablemarriageablemassivematerialmaturematurescentmeaningfulmercifulmightilymightymomentousmonstrousmuchnamenoblenoble mindednoble-mindednotablenubilenumerousof ageof marriageable ageoldopenhandedoverbearingoverblownoverflowingpackedparturientpatronizingponderouspotpregnantpretentiousprincelyproudpurse-proudrepleteroomysaintedsanctifiedsatedsatiatedsatisfiedself-importantshrinedsignificantsizablespaciousspankingstoutstuck upstuck-upstuffedsublimesubstantialsupereminentsuperiorswollentallthronedtidytoploftyunwieldyuppishuppityupstagevastveryvoluminousweightywhackingwhoppingwindyworld shakingworld-shaking
Adjective(26 words)
hugeimmensekeylarge integerlarge vehiclelargerlarger numberlargishliberalmagnanimousmajormuckleopenhandedprominentself-aggrandisingself-aggrandizingseveresignificantsignificantlysubstantial
Show 6 more words
Adverb(2 words)
Adjective(2 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: large, adult, adult, aggrandized, ample.
- enormous: 'Enormous' goes well beyond 'big', it implies something impressively or even intimidatingly large.
- Sentence evidence is available for big, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "big".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "big"
Keep "big" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "big" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "big", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "big" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
How these synonyms differ
- enormous - 'Enormous' goes well beyond 'big', it implies something impressively or even intimidatingly large.
- huge - 'Huge' is informal but emphatic. It works where 'big' sounds too mild and 'enormous' sounds too formal.
- massive - 'Massive' suggests weight and solidity alongside size, a massive boulder, a massive investment.
- substantial - 'Substantial' emphasizes significance over physical size, it often modifies abstract things like evidence or improvements.
- vast - 'Vast' implies expanse or scope rather than bulk, a vast desert, a vast difference, a vast collection.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
20 entriesShowing 16 of 20 words.
Collocations
9 entriesbig changebig databig dealbig differencebig growthbig impactbig picturebig scalebig time
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
2 entriesAntonyms
2 entriessimilar
99 entriesShowing 16 of 99 words.
Translations
58 translations across 42 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- كَبِير adj (adult)
Armenian
1 entries- մեծ adj (adult)
Assamese
1 entries- ডাঙৰ adj (adult)
Azerbaijani
2 entries- böyük adj (adult)
- yekə adj (adult)
Bulgarian
3 entries- въ́зрастен adj (adult)
- голя́м adj (adult)
- пора́снал adj (adult)
Catalan
1 entries- gran adj (adult)
Central Kurdish
1 entries- گەورە adj (adult)
Chinese
1 entries- 大人 adj (adult)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 大人 adj (adult)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 大人 adj (adult)
Dutch
1 entries- volwassen adj (adult)
Ewe
1 entries- gã adj (adult)
Finnish
2 entries- aikuinen adj (adult)
- iso adj (adult)
French
1 entries- grand adj (adult)
German
1 entries- groß adj (adult)
Hakka Chinese
1 entries- 大人 adj (adult)
Hebrew
1 entries- גדול adj (adult)
Hindi
1 entries- वयस्क adj (adult)
Hungarian
1 entries- felnőtt adj (adult)
Icelandic
1 entries- fullorðinn adj (adult)
Inuktitut
2 entries- aktok adj (adult)
- innark adj (adult)
Italian
1 entries- grande adj (adult)
Japanese
2 entries- 大人 adj (adult)
- 成人 adj (adult)
Kapampangan
3 entries- dinagul adj (adult)
- tanda adj (adult)
- tua adj (adult)
Korean
2 entries- 성인 adj (adult)
- 어른 adj (adult)
Latin
1 entries- adultus adj (adult)
Macedonian
2 entries- во́зрасен adj (adult)
- го́лем adj (adult)
Malay
2 entries- dewasa adj (adult)
- orang dewasa adj (adult)
Norman
1 entries- grand adj (adult)
Northern Kurdish
1 entries- mezin adj (adult)
Ojibwe
1 entries- gichi-aya'aa adj (adult)
Pashto
2 entries- ستر adj (adult)
- غټ adj (adult)
Persian
1 entries- بزرگسال adj (adult)
Polish
1 entries- duży adj (adult)
Portuguese
2 entries- adulto adj (adult)
- maior adj (adult)
Russian
1 entries- большо́й adj (adult)
Slovak
2 entries- dospelý adj (adult)
- veľký adj (adult)
Spanish
2 entries- adulto adj (adult)
- mayor adj (adult)
Swahili
2 entries- kubwa adj (adult)
- pevu adj (adult)
Swedish
1 entries- vuxen adj (adult)
Thai
1 entries- โต adj (adult)
Ukrainian
1 entries- вели́кий adj (adult)
Sample sentences
58 total sentences available.
Why did you wake me up to tell me something that big? Now, I'll never be able to concentrate on my work!
Source: tatoeba (2252)
You can't get lost in big cities; there are maps everywhere!
Source: tatoeba (2387)
If you take care of the small things, the big things will take care of themselves.
Source: tatoeba (2476)
Showing 4 of 58 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "big"?
Closest matches include large, adult, adult, aggrandized, ample.
How is "enormous" different from "big"?
'Enormous' goes well beyond 'big', it implies something impressively or even intimidatingly large.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "big"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.