big
/bɪg/
Reviewed on
Type
Adjective
Meaning
Large in size, number, or amount.
They live in a big house with a huge backyard.
Important or serious.
Moving to a new city is a big decision.
Older (used about a brother or sister, mainly in informal speech).
My big sister taught me how to ride a bike.
Doing something a lot or liking something very much.
I'm a big fan of spicy food.
How it's used
When this means “comes before the noun, or after 'be'”
- big + noun
That's a big problem. / The room is big.
When this means “someone who does or likes something a lot”
- a big + person noun (fan, eater, reader)
My dad is a big reader.
When this means “the comparative and superlative double the 'g'”
- bigger/biggest
This is the biggest pizza I've ever seen.
Collocations
- big city
- big smile
- big mistake
- big day
- big change
- big brother
- big sister
- big fan
- big eater
Idioms
a big deal
something important or exciting; 'no big deal' means it is not important
Don't worry about the spill. It's no big deal.
think big
to have large, ambitious plans
If you want to grow your business, you have to think big.