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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