Artículo del Diccionario de Sinónimos y Antónimos: greater than the average size or amount

greater than the average size or amount

These words are used to refer to things that are greater than average size or amount.

The two most common words for this, and the words with the broadest meanings, are big and large. They can sometimes be used interchangeably, but there are some differences in their use.

Big is slightly more informal than large and is not used in formal writing. Big is sometimes used in combination with words like eater and spender to talk about a person who does a lot of the stated thing.

They live in a big house in the country.

I think the biggest problem is that I stopped working out.

The national deficit is over $25 trillion dollars - that's way too big a number.

He's a big spender, and at the rate he's going, he'll be broke by morning.

Large is used to describe numbers or amounts compared to what would be considered average or usual. It is also used specifically to describe general clothing sizes. It is slightly more formal than big and is also used of abstract and concrete things like big.

A large number of people were crowded into the room.

It was a national disaster on a large scale.

Do you want a small, medium, or large coffee?

I think I need a larger size.

The opposite of large is small. The opposite of big is little.

You are allowed one small suitcase on board the plane.

They live in a little cottage.

For more opposites of large and big, see the article at small.

Great is usually used with abstract things, and is common in formal writing.

The party was a great success.

If something is very big in size, amount, or degree, you can say it is enormous, huge, or massive. In more formal contexts, you can also use immense and vast.

They bought an enormous house in the suburbs.

The explosion left a huge crater.

His debut album was a huge success

The building work has caused massive disruption.

The family had amassed immense wealth.

There are vast distances between the stars.

The vast majority of voters are in favour of the ballot measure.

The opposite of huge, enormous , and massive is tiny. Tiny refers to things that are extremely small in size, amount, or degree.

She was holding a tiny baby.

It was just a tiny pay rise.

The word gigantic also means very big, and is used mainly for emphasis. The words gargantuan, mammoth, and colossal are also used, especially in newspapers and in literature. Ginormous can be used informally.

There's a gigantic spider in the bathroom.

He has a gargantuan appetite.

They have a mammoth task ahead of them.

Colossal sums have been wasted on this project.

The guy has a ginormous ego.

Large amounts can be described as sizeable, substantial, hefty, or considerable. Sizeable is the UK English spelling of this word. In US English, it is spelled sizable.

UK You should be prepared to make a sizeable investment.

She is known to have made substantial donations to charity.

The speeding motorist was given a hefty fine.

Considerable criticism has been levelled at her leadership.

When a large amount or degree is a positive thing, you can use tidy, respectable, generous, handsome, or good. Tidy is an informal word, and good is often used to emphasize the large size, amount, or degree. Goodly is an old-fashioned word that refers to a large amount.

This year we made a tidy profit.

The party picked up a respectable number of ethnic-minority votes.

The novel is served up with a generous measure of wit.

There will still be handsome profits to be made.

She spends a good proportion of her time working on business forecasts.

A goodly portion of the objects on show are real rarities.

A collection or group that is large and includes a range of different things can be described as extensive.

I have an extensive collection of 20th-century watercolours.

An extremely large number or amount can be described as astronomical. Astronomical can also be used to say that the price of something is extremely high.

Professional footballers are paid astronomical sums.

The price is so astronomical we can't afford it.

For more words for high prices, see the article at expensive.

Large and heavy objects can be described as hefty.

I propped the door open with a hefty coffee-table book.

Objects that occupy a lot of space and are awkward to lift or carry can be described as bulky.

It's a large car with plenty of room for bulky luggage.