big

[[t]bɪg[/t]]

adj. big•ger, big•gest, adv. n.

1) large in size, height, width, or amount:

a big house; a big batch[/ex]

2) of major concern or importance:

a big problem[/ex]

3) outstanding:

a big success[/ex]

4) important; influential:

a big activist in politics[/ex]

5) grown-up; mature:

big enough to know better[/ex]

6) elder:

my big sister[/ex]

7) gov large-scale and powerful; exercising substantial control and influence:

big government[/ex]

8) cvb known or used widely; popular:

Jazz became big in the 1920s[/ex]

9) magnanimous:

big enough to forgive[/ex]

10) cvb hearty; enthusiastic:

He welcomed us in a big way[/ex]

11) boastful; pompous:

a big talker[/ex]

12) loud; orotund:

a big voice[/ex]

13) filled; brimming:

eyes big with tears[/ex]

14) dial. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pregnant

15) inf boastfully; pretentiously:

to talk big[/ex]

16) inf successfully:

to go over big[/ex]

inf

17) inf a person of importance or power:

She lunched with a Hollywood big[/ex]

18) spo the bigs, the highest level of competition, esp. baseball's major leagues

•

- be big on

Etymology: 1275–1325; ME big(ge) strong, stout big′gish, adj. big′ly, adv. big′ness, n.