big
big — adjective
1. greater than usual in physical size, number, or quantity.
greater than usual in physical size, number, or quantity.
The bakery ordered a big oven for the new shop downtown.
big + concrete noun for size
A big crowd waited outside the stadium before the singer arrived.
big + crowd for large number
My aunt grows big tomatoes in wooden boxes behind her kitchen.
That jacket looks big on Leo, so try the smaller one.
We need a big table because twelve cousins are coming tonight.
文法句型
big + noun
be/look/feel + big
用法筆記
Covers both physical size and large amounts. Distinguish from sense 6: 'a big problem' usually means important or serious, not physically large.
常見錯誤
2. important, serious, or powerful enough to have a strong effect.
important, serious, or powerful enough to have a strong effect.
Choosing a new school was a big decision for the whole family.
big + decision/problem/difference
There is a big difference between hearing advice and following it.
Losing that bridge would be a big problem for nearby farms.
The bank's failure had a big effect on small shops downtown.
Tonight's debate became the big story on every local channel.
文法句型
big + decision/problem/difference/effect
用法筆記
Usually appears before nouns such as 'decision', 'difference', 'problem', 'risk', or 'story'. Distinguish from adjective/7 in the other chunk, where 'big' means well-known or influential in a place or field, not simply serious or important.
常見錯誤
3. older than another child, or old enough to be expected to act in a more adult wa
older than another child, or old enough to be expected to act in a more adult way.
Eva's big sister walked her across the road on Monday.
big sister = older sister
The big kids sat in the front row for the school play.
At ten, Wairimu is big enough to wash her own cup.
Mom said Eli was too big for a bedtime story now.
文法句型
big brother/sister
big enough + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Often used in family roles such as 'big brother' and 'big sister', and in 'big enough to ...' when talking about expected behaviour. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about size rather than age or maturity.
常見錯誤
4. in the phrase 'in a big way', to a very great degree or with strong effect.
in the phrase 'in a big way', to a very great degree or with strong effect.
After the concert, Hana fell for the drummer in a big way.
fixed phrase: in a big way
Since the storm, food prices have risen in a big way.
Luca's sleep improved in a big way after he stopped coffee.
Her life changed in a big way after her song spread online.
- slightly
shows only a small degree of change or feeling
文法句型
in a big way
用法筆記
Usually appears after verbs about feelings, change, growth, or increase. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense stresses degree, not how wide the spread is.
常見錯誤
5. in the phrase 'in a big way', across many people, places, or activities, or over
in the phrase 'in a big way', across many people, places, or activities, or over a broad area.
The chain plans to expand in a big way across southern India.
large-scale expansion in a big way
Solar power is growing in a big way in many farming towns.
Online classes took off in a big way during the long strike.
The museum wants to use local artists in a big way next year.
- widely
focuses on spread rather than intensity
- broadly
often used for general spread or use
- on a large scale
more formal and more explicit
- locally
limited to one area
- in a limited way
shows small scale rather than broad spread
文法句型
in a big way
用法筆記
Also mostly appears in 'in a big way', but here the idea is broad spread or large-scale activity. Distinguish from sense 4, which can describe one person's feeling or one change becoming stronger.
常見錯誤
6. liking someone or something very much and showing strong interest in it.
liking someone or something very much and showing strong interest in it.
Nina is big on morning runs before work.
be big on + activity
Grandpa is big on old train maps and station photos.
be big on + thing
The twins are big on Korean dramas this year.
Aunt Mei has never been big on spicy food.
Leo is big on meeting new people when he travels.
- uninterested in
shows little or no interest
- against
suggests active dislike or opposition
文法句型
be big on + noun
be big on + gerund
用法筆記
This informal sense is usually followed by 'on'. It often talks about hobbies, food, music, or ways of doing things.
常見錯誤
7. used about a product, style, or activity that huge numbers of people like, buy,
used about a product, style, or activity that huge numbers of people like, buy, or talk about.
Vinyl records are big again with college students in Kaohsiung.
be big with + group
Cold brew tea became big after the summer music festival.
become big
Escape rooms were big on social media last winter.
That dance app is still big among junior high students.
- unpopular
not liked by many people
- old-fashioned
no longer attractive or current
文法句型
be big with + group
be big among + group
become big
用法筆記
Most often describes trends, entertainment, food, or activities. Distinguish from sense 7, where a person or thing is big in a place or field because of status there.
8. well known and treated as important within one place, scene, or area of work.
well known and treated as important within one place, scene, or area of work.
That singer was already big in Taiwan before her world tour.
be big in + place
Before television, Ken was big in local radio across Hsinchu.
be big in + field
The charity became big in southern Taiwan after years of flood work.
For young jazz fans, Ella is still big in New Orleans clubs.
- famous
stresses being widely known, not always having influence
- influential
focuses more on power over people or decisions
- prominent
slightly more formal and often used in news or public writing
文法句型
be big in + place
be big in + field
用法筆記
Usually follows the verb 'be'. Distinguish from sense 8, which is about a product or activity being very popular, not about having standing in a place or field.
常見錯誤
9. showing kindness, fairness, or forgiveness, especially after someone could have
showing kindness, fairness, or forgiveness, especially after someone could have reacted badly.
It was big of Maria to thank the nurse after the mistake.
it is big of + person + to-infinitive
Even after losing, Hana was big enough to shake Carla's hand.
be big enough to + verb
That was big of your brother after such a rough game.
At the meeting, Jenna was big enough to praise her old rival.
文法句型
it is big of + person + to-infinitive
be big enough to + verb
用法筆記
Most common in the patterns 'It was big of ... to ...' and 'be big enough to ...'. It often appears after an argument, a loss, or some other tense moment.
常見錯誤
10. put before a noun to make the description sound stronger or more emotional.
put before a noun to make the description sound stronger or more emotional.
Stop being a big baby about the cold swimming pool.
emphatic: big + insulting noun
The twins called Max a big bully after he hid their ball.
After the trick failed, Ben felt like a big idiot.
Don't be such a big show-off during the science fair.
文法句型
big + insulting or emotional noun
用法筆記
Mainly used before a noun, especially in emotional labels such as insults or self-criticism. It adds force more than new factual meaning.
常見錯誤
11. carrying a baby and showing it clearly because the stomach has grown large.
carrying a baby and showing it clearly because the stomach has grown large.
By spring, the farm dog was big and needed shorter walks.
informal use for pregnancy
The old neighbors said Rosa was big and due in October.
Everyone could see the mare was big before the county fair.
By late summer, Lena was big and washing tiny baby clothes.
- pregnant
the normal neutral word
- expecting
common and slightly softer in tone
- with child
old-fashioned and more literary
文法句型
be big
look big
用法筆記
Mostly an older or informal way to talk about pregnancy, especially when it is easy to see. Learners usually want the neutral word 'pregnant' instead.
big — adverb
1. in an ambitious way that uses a lot of money, space, or effort, or aims at a wid
in an ambitious way that uses a lot of money, space, or effort, or aims at a wide effect.
The cafe went big for its tenth birthday and rented the whole plaza.
go big for a large event
From the start, Mira thought big and planned tours across Asia.
think big for ambitious planning
This year the museum is going big with night shows and street food.
The company is building big in Vietnam with three new factories.
- ambitiously
focuses more on high aims than on visible scale
- boldly
stresses courage or risk, not necessarily size
- on a grand scale
more formal phrase for very large scope
- modestly
with limited aims or spending
- on a small scale
without wide reach or large resources
文法句型
think big
go big
build big
plan big
用法筆記
Most often appears in business, event, and planning talk, especially in patterns like 'think big' and 'go big'. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes how large the outcome is, not how large the plan is.
常見錯誤
2. with very large gains, losses, or effects, especially when the result is much gr
with very large gains, losses, or effects, especially when the result is much greater than usual.
The bakery won big at the city food awards last night.
win big for major success
Farouk's small idea paid off big after her video went online.
pay off big for strong effect
Investors lost big when the bridge project stopped in March.
Our school scored big in the science fair this spring.
文法句型
win big
pay off big
lose big
score big
用法筆記
Usually follows verbs of result such as 'win', 'lose', 'score', or 'pay off'. Distinguish from sense 2, where the plan or action itself is large in scale, as in 'think big'.
常見錯誤
3. in a loud, showy, self-important way, especially when someone is making claims a
in a loud, showy, self-important way, especially when someone is making claims about themselves or their plans.
Leo talked big after one lucky win at the school pool table.
talk big for boastful speech
At dinner, the new coach spoke big about winning every game.
speak big about future success
After one small contract, the brothers started talking big about hotels.
On the bus home, Trevor was still talking big about boxing.
- boastfully
the closest neutral equivalent
- swaggeringly
adds a stronger show-off attitude
- loudly
can match the noisy tone, but not always the boasting
文法句型
talk big
speak big
用法筆記
Mostly used with 'talk' or 'speak'. Unlike sense 1, it does not describe a large result; it describes an overconfident tone.
常見錯誤
4. with great force, especially when hitting or serving a ball in sport.
with great force, especially when hitting or serving a ball in sport.
On match point, Keiko served big and forced a weak return.
serve big for a powerful shot
The left-hander hits big from the back court on clay.
hit big in tennis reporting
Even in the rain, Omar swung big at every short ball.
Near the end, Ava served big and won the game quickly.
- hard
the nearest basic word for this sense
- powerfully
more general and less tied to sports commentary
- aggressively
can include force and attacking intent together
文法句型
serve big
hit big
swing big
play big off the baseline
用法筆記
Rare and mostly found in sports writing, especially tennis. It usually describes the power of a shot, not the size of a plan or the size of a result.
常見錯誤
big — noun
1. in basketball, a tall player, usually one who plays close to the basket.
in basketball, a tall player, usually one who plays close to the basket.
Coach Rivera started two bigs against the taller team from Seoul.
play two bigs
Farouk's brother is the only big on his high school team.
the only big on [team]
When Leo drove toward the basket, the big waited near the net.
The coach asked every big to block shots and grab rebounds.
At six foot eight, Noah became the team's strongest big this season.
- center
a specific position, while 'big' can include some forwards too
- post player
focuses on playing near the basket rather than on body size
- big man
older informal term; often used for male players
- guard
usually a smaller outside player handling the ball or defending the perimeter
文法句型
a big
play two bigs
用法筆記
Mainly used in basketball talk by coaches, players, and commentators. Singular 'a big' names one player; plural 'bigs' often contrasts with 'guards' on the same team.
常見錯誤
2. the highest professional level in a sport, especially baseball, where the strong
the highest professional level in a sport, especially baseball, where the strongest teams and players compete.
After eight years in the minors, Luis finally made the bigs.
make the bigs
Her father spent one summer in the bigs before a shoulder injury.
in the bigs
Reporters crowded around the rookie when he got his first call to the bigs.
Only a few pitchers from that small town ever reach the bigs.
- the majors
especially common in baseball
- major leagues
more explicit and slightly less slangy
- top flight
broader sports term, often used beyond baseball
- the minors
the lower professional level that feeds players upward
- minor leagues
full form of 'the minors', especially in baseball
文法句型
make the bigs
play in the bigs
get called up to the bigs
用法筆記
Almost always appears as 'the bigs' in American baseball writing and speech. It refers to the top professional level as a whole, not to one particular club.