• enPR: bĭg, IPA: /bɪɡ/

big (comparative bigger, superlative biggest)

1. Of great size, large.

   Synonyms: ample, huge, large, sizeable, stoor, jumbo, massive, Thesaurus:big

   Antonyms: little, small, tiny, minuscule, miniature, minute

   Elephants are big animals, and they eat a lot.

   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter III, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen, OCLC 12026604 ↗; republished New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1919, OCLC 491297620 ↗:

     The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, […], with their court of farm and church and clustered village, in dignified seclusion.

2. (of an industry or other field, often capitalized) Thought to have undue influence.

   There were concerns about the ethics of big pharma.

   Big Tech

3. Popular.

   Synonyms: all the rage, in demand, well liked

   That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.

4. (informal) Adult.

   Synonyms: adult, fully grown, grown up, Thesaurus:full-grown

   Antonyms: little, young

   Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.

   • 1931, Robert L. May, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Montgomery Ward (publisher), draft:

     By midnight, however, the last light had fled / For even big people have then gone to bed[.]

5. (informal) Fat.

   Synonyms: chubby, plus-size, rotund, Thesaurus:overweight

   Gosh, she is big!

6. (informal) Important or significant.

   Synonyms: essential, paramount, weighty, Thesaurus:important

   What's so big about that? I do it all the time.

   • 1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen, OCLC 12026604 ↗; republished New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1919, OCLC 491297620 ↗:

     "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."

7. (informal, with on) Enthusiastic (about).

   Synonyms: fanatical, mad, worked up, Thesaurus:enthusiastic

   • 2019, Louise Taylor, Alex Morgan heads USA past England into Women’s World Cup final (in The Guardian, 2 July 2019)

     Neville is big on standing by his principles and he deserves plaudits for acknowledging he got his starting system wrong, reverting to 4-2-3-1 and introducing Kirby in the No 10 role.

   I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.
8. indtr en Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.

   That's very big of you; thank you!

   I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.

9. (informal) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.

   Synonyms: busty, macromastic, stacked, Thesaurus:busty

   Whoa, Nadia has gotten pretty big since she hit puberty.

10. (sometimes, figurative) Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.

    Synonyms: full, great, heavy, Thesaurus:pregnant

    She was big with child.

    • Joseph Addison (1672–1719)

      [Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.

11. (informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns

    You are a big liar.  Why are you in such a big hurry?

12. (of a city) populous
13. (informal, slang, rare, of somebody's age) old, mature. Used to imply that somebody is too old for something, or acting immaturely.
    • 2020, Candice Carty-Williams, Notting Hill Carnival

      I don't think so, if you're shouting at people across the playground at your big age.

• French: grand, gros
• German: groß
• Italian: grande, grosso
• Portuguese: grande
• Russian: большо́й
• Spanish: grande

• French: grand
• German: groß
• Italian: grande
• Portuguese: maior, adulto
• Russian: большо́й
• Spanish: mayor, adulto

big (comparative bigger, superlative biggest)

1. In a loud manner.
2. In a boasting manner.

   He's always talking big, but he never delivers.

3. In a large amount or to a large extent.

   He won big betting on the croquet championship.

4. On a large scale, expansively.

   You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.

5. Hard.

   He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.

big (plural bigs)

1. Someone or something that is large in stature
2. An important or powerful person; a celebrity; a big name.
3. (as plural) The big leagues, big time.
4. (BDSM, slang) The participant in ageplay who acts out the [[older role.]]

• (big leagues) major league

• (BDSM) little

big (bigs, present participle bigging; past and past participle bigged) (up)

1. (transitive) To praise, recommend, or promote.

big (bigs, present participle bigging; past and past participle bigged)

1. (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) to inhabit; occupy
2. (reflexive, archaic or UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) to locate oneself
3. (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) to build; erect; fashion
4. (intransitive, archaic or UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) to dwell; have a dwelling

big (uncountable)

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

big (plural bigs)

1. A biological insulation garment; an air-tight, full-body suit intended to prevent the spread of contaminants.

• BIG suit

• BIW
• BIB