15 other words for ‘big’

The word ‘big’ is one of the most frequently used words in English, yet there are many other different words you can use instead to be more specific and make your writing more interesting.

Why not use these words if you want to talk about the size of something?

• colossal                 A colossal statue stands in the square.
• enormous             She was presented with an enormous bunch of flowers.
• giant                     We buy the giant packs of toilet rolls.
• gigantic                 The section of the bridge required a gigantic crane to lift it.
• huge                      She gave me a huge hug.
• immense               The floods affected an immense area of the country.
• large                      We have a large hole in our kitchen ceiling.
• massive                They believe a massive asteroid is headed for Earth.  
• vast                       The Sahara Desert is a vast area of rolling sand dunes. 

To describe how much space something takes up, use:

• roomy                   “You’ll find this a roomy flat,” said the estate agent.
• sizable                   Our house has a delicious garden.
• spacious               The living room is spacious, but the kitchen is cramped.

 For talking about the importance of something, use:

• important             It was an important day in Sophie’s life. 
• momentous          The Prime Minister made the momentous decision to resign.
• significant            The drug has had a significant effect on the disease.

Look at the Thesaurus entry for big to find other synonyms and examples.

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