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Added 7 October 2026

big

/bɪɡ/ noun ▶ hear it

In Latin: magnus, grandis Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0), via the Free Dictionary API. More about big at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Someone or something that is large in stature
An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.
(as plural) The big leagues, big time.

verb

To praise, recommend, or promote.

adjective

Of great size, large.
Elephants are big animals, and they eat a lot.
(of an industry or other field, often capitalized) Thought to have undue influence.
Big Tech
Popular.
That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.

adverb

In a loud manner.
In a boasting manner.
He's always talking big, but he never delivers.
In a large amount or to a large extent.
He won big betting on the croquet championship.

verb

To inhabit; occupy
To locate oneself
To build; erect; fashion

noun

One or more kinds of barley, especially six-rowed barley.

Origin

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 Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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