big1

[big] /bɪg/
adjective, bigger, biggest.
1.
large, as in size, height, width, or amount:
a big house; a big quantity.
2.
of major concern, importance, gravity, or the like:
a big problem.
3.
outstanding for a specified quality:
a big liar; a big success.
4.
important, as in influence, standing, or wealth:
a big man in his field.
5.
grown-up; mature:
big enough to know better.
6.
elder:
my big sister.
7.
doing business or conducted on a large scale; major in size or importance:
big government.
8.
consisting of the largest or most influential companies in an industry:
Big steel wants to lower prices, but the smaller mills don't.
9.
Informal. known or used widely; popular:
Nouvelle cuisine became big in the 1970s.
10.
magnanimous; generous; kindly:
big enough to forgive.
11.
boastful; pompous; pretentious; haughty:
a big talker.
12.
loud; orotund:
a big voice.
13.
(of clothing or a clothing design) made of or distinguished by voluminous fabric that is loosely or softly shaped and fitted:
a big shirt; the big look.
14.
(of a wine) having more than average flavor, body, and alcoholic content.
15.
filled; brimming:
eyes big with tears.
16.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pregnant.
17.
Obsolete. very strong; powerful.
adverb
18.
Informal. boastfully; pretentiously:
to act big; to talk big.
19.
Informal. with great success; successfully:
to go over big.
noun
20.
the bigs, Sports Slang. the highest level of professional competition, as the major leagues in baseball.
Idioms
21.
be big on, to have a special liking or enthusiasm for:
Mother is big on family get-togethers.
22.
big with child. great (def 23).
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English big(ge) < ?
Related forms
biggish, adjective
bigly, adverb
Synonyms
1. huge, immense; bulky, massive; capacious, voluminous; extensive. See great. 4. consequential. 15. overflowing, flooded.
Antonyms
1. little.
Examples from the web for bigger
  • If it costs two dollars or more than two dollars, you give thirty or thirty-five cents, and ten per cent on a bigger amount.
  • It is a bigger job than the world cares to undertake to teach any other nation so much.
  • In summer the tow-path and the country attract their share of the bigger boys.
  • The bigger the book and the longer the name of the subject, the prouder they felt of their accomplishment.
  • Cherry trees bearing fruit no bigger than a small pease.
  • His head, crowned with white hair, as seen from behind looked bigger than a head ought to be.
  • It is somewhat bigger than the life, because raised high.
  • Looseness, why is there a shadow in a kitchen, there is a shadow in a kitchen because every little thing is bigger.
  • It is scarcely necessary to point out that the bigger and more ambitious the house, the more perfect its appointments must be.
  • Many pupils have written saying that after a few lessons they've outboxed bigger and heavier opponents.
British Dictionary definitions for bigger

big1

/bɪɡ/
adjective bigger, biggest
1.
of great or considerable size, height, weight, number, power, or capacity
2.
having great significance; important: a big decision
3.
important through having power, influence, wealth, authority, etc: the big four banks
4.
(intensifier usually qualifying something undesirable): a big dope
5.
(informal) considerable in extent or intensity (esp in the phrase in a big way)
6.
  1. elder: my big brother
  2. grown-up: when you're big, you can stay up later
7.
  1. generous; magnanimous: that's very big of you
  2. (in combination): big-hearted
8.
(often foll by with) brimming; full: my heart is big with sadness
9.
extravagant; boastful: he's full of big talk
10.
(of wine) full-bodied, with a strong aroma and flavour
11.
too big for one's boots, too big for one's breeches, conceited; unduly self-confident
12.
in an advanced stage of pregnancy (esp in the phrase big with child)
13.
(informal) big on, enthusiastic about: that company is big on research
adverb (informal)
14.
boastfully; pretentiously (esp in the phrase talk big)
15.
in an exceptional way; well: his talk went over big with the audience
16.
on a grand scale (esp in the phrase think big)
See also big up
Derived Forms
biggish, adjective
bigness, noun
Word Origin
C13: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian dialect bugge big man

big2

/bɪɡ/
verb (Scot) bigs, bigging, bigged, bug (bʌɡ)
1.
to build
2.
to excavate (earth) into a pile
Word Origin
from Old Norse byggja; related to Old English būian to inhabit
Word Origin and History for bigger
adj.

comparative of big.

big

adj.

c.1300, northern England dialect, "powerful, strong," of obscure origin, possibly from a Scandinavian source (cf. 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.

Slang definitions & phrases for bigger

big

adjective
  1. Important; powerful: the big names in this business/ the big guy (late 1500s+)
  2. Popular; successful: If I do say so, we were very big/ The book's big in Chicago (1910+)
adverb

Successfully; outstandingly well: The wing-dancing and funny acts catch on big (1886+)

Related Terms

big with someone, go over big, make it big, take it hard, talk big


Big

adjective

Good; decent; admirable •Used as an epithet for an admired person: Hey, what's up, Big Charlie?

Related Terms

mister big


Idioms and Phrases with bigger

bigger

In addition to the idiom beginning with bigger also see: eyes are bigger than one's stomach

big

also see:
also see under:
bigger