grand

/ɡrænd/ (bre, ipa) · [ɡrˈænd] /ɡrænd/ (ame, ipa) · [ɡrˈænd] /ˈgrand/ (ame, mw)

grand — 形容詞

  • grandpositive
  • grandercomparative
  • grandestsuperlative

1. being the most important, largest, or most powerful among things of the same typ

1.形容詞B2
釋義

首要的

同類中最重要的或最大的

being the most important, largest, or most powerful among things of the same type; serving as the main or leading item in a group.

例句

The grand prize for the competition was a two-week trip to Japan.

比賽的首獎是為期兩週的日本之旅。

attributive use: grand prize (most important award)

Putri's grand ambition was to become a marine biologist and protect the ocean.

Putri 最大的志向是成為海洋生物學家並保護海洋。

同義詞
  • chief

    more formal and narrower in scope; 'chief' often refers to rank within an organization

  • principal

    similar in meaning but more neutral in tone; 'principal reason' vs 'grand ambition'

  • foremost

    more literary; suggests being at the very front in importance

反義詞
  • minor

    less important or smaller in scale

  • secondary

    coming after the most important item

文法句型

grand + noun

用法筆記

Almost always used before a noun in this sense — you would not say 'The prize was grand' to mean 'the prize was the most important.'

常見錯誤

❌The house looked grand among the others' (when meaning most important).
✅The grand prize was a car.
💡In sense 1, 'grand' marks the top-ranked item; for 'impressive looking,' use sense 2 instead.

2. extremely large, beautiful, or costly in a way that makes people feel admiration

2.形容詞B1
釋義

宏偉的

規模極大、華麗而令人讚嘆的

extremely large, beautiful, or costly in a way that makes people feel admiration or wonder.

例句

Rafael bought a grand old house near the beach with a big garden.

Rafael 在海邊買了一棟帶大花園的宏偉老宅。

attributive: grand + old + house (collocation pattern)

The castle had a grand dining hall with paintings on every wall.

那座城堡有一個宏偉的宴會廳，牆上掛滿了畫作。

同義詞
  • majestic

    suggests stately dignity, often for natural scenery or large buildings

  • magnificent

    emphasizes beauty and richness more than sheer size

  • splendid

    more about visual brilliance; common in British English

  • imposing

    focuses on the feeling of awe or slight intimidation

反義詞

文法句型

grand + noun

be + grand

常見錯誤

❌The hotel was grand and I paid a lot for it' (vague).
✅The hotel had a grand ballroom with gold chandeliers.
💡The word works best when you describe what makes it impressive, not just state that it is.

3. used within the official title given to a particular building, natural landmark,

3.形容詞B2
釋義

大型的

用於地名或建築名稱，表示規模宏大

used within the official title given to a particular building, natural landmark, or public event, signalling that it is very large or magnificent.

例句

The Grand Canyon is one of the most famous natural wonders in the world.

大峽谷是世界上最著名的自然奇觀之一。

proper name: the Grand Canyon

We spent the night at the Grand Hotel near the train station in Taipei.

我們在臺北車站附近的圓山大飯店住了一晚。

文法句型

the Grand + noun

用法筆記

This sense only applies inside fixed proper names. You cannot freely say 'a grand canyon' to mean 'a large canyon' — that would require sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌Let's visit a grand hotel downtown.' (when you just mean a big hotel).
✅Let's stay at the Grand Hotel opposite the park.
💡Use sense 2 for describing any large hotel; sense 3 is only for the actual name.

4. wonderfully good, fun, or satisfying; a casual way of saying that an experience

4.形容詞A2
釋義

極好的

口語中用來形容愉快、令人滿意的體驗

wonderfully good, fun, or satisfying; a casual way of saying that an experience or situation is very pleasant.

例句

We had a grand time at the beach — the weather was perfect all day.

我們在海灘玩得非常開心——天氣一整天都很好。

informal collocation: have a grand time

The weather was grand for the picnic, so the children played outside until dark.

野餐時天氣好極了，孩子們在外面玩到天黑。

同義詞
  • wonderful

    more widely used across all English varieties; slightly more formal

  • fantastic

    stronger enthusiasm; common in both British and American English

  • terrific

    colloquial and energetic; similar in register

  • great

    the most common alternative; neutral in register

反義詞
  • awful

    extremely bad or unpleasant

  • terrible

    very bad; opposite of grand in the excellent sense

文法句型

grand + noun

be/look/feel + grand

用法筆記

Chiefly used in British and Australian English. More common in spoken language than in formal writing. Often appears in fixed pairs like 'a grand time' or 'grand weather.'

常見錯誤

❌The movie was very grand' (in a review — too vague).
✅We had a grand time at the movie
💡I laughed the whole way through.' — For informal enthusiasm, pair 'grand' with a specific experience word (time, trip, meal, day).

5. acting or speaking in a way that suggests you believe you are more important, ri

5.形容詞C1
釋義

高傲的

表現得自認高人一等的態度

acting or speaking in a way that suggests you believe you are more important, richer, or of a higher social class than other people.

例句

The director put on grand airs and refused to talk to anyone below his rank.

那位主管擺出高傲的姿態，拒絕與任何下屬交談。

fixed phrase: put on grand airs (act superior)

Niran's employer spoke in a grand manner about owning three houses abroad.

Niran 的僱主以高傲的口吻談論自己在國外擁有三棟房子。

同義詞
  • haughty

    more direct and literary; always negative in tone

  • arrogant

    the most common synonym; stronger and blunter

  • pompous

    suggests self-importance expressed in a stuffy, formal way

  • snobbish

    focuses on looking down on people of lower social status

反義詞
  • humble

    not thinking of yourself as better than others

  • modest

    not boasting about your achievements or status

文法句型

grand + noun

act/talk/behave + grand

用法筆記

Often carries a negative tone — it criticises the person's attitude. The related phrase 'put on grand airs' is the most common fixed expression in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌She is a grand person' (positive — this would be misunderstood).
✅She put on grand airs at the party, which annoyed everyone.
💡Use with a negative context or clarifying phrase, otherwise readers will interpret sense 2 or 4.

6. focused on noble, spiritual, or deeply thoughtful subjects rather than everyday

6.形容詞C1
釋義

崇高的

關於高尚道德或精神層面的宏大思想

focused on noble, spiritual, or deeply thoughtful subjects rather than everyday concerns; aiming at what is morally or intellectually elevated.

例句

The professor spoke about grand ideas such as justice, freedom, and human dignity.

那位教授談論了關於正義、自由和人類尊嚴等崇高理念。

collocation: grand ideas (noble concepts)

Amani's novel explored grand themes of love and sacrifice across three generations.

Amani 的小說跨越三代人，探討了愛與犧牲的宏大主題。

同義詞
  • lofty

    very similar in meaning; 'lofty ideals' is a common fixed phrase

  • noble

    emphasises moral goodness rather than intellectual elevation

  • elevated

    more neutral; suggests a higher-than-usual standard

  • sublime

    the strongest term; suggests something so grand it inspires awe

反義詞
  • mundane

    ordinary and not special or interesting

  • petty

    small-minded or trivial; opposite of noble scope

文法句型

grand + abstract noun

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 describes physical size or visual impressiveness, while sense 6 describes abstract, moral, or intellectual nobility.

常見錯誤

❌He had grand plans for his new apartment' (physical scale → use sense 2).
✅The leader presented a grand vision for peace between the two countries.
💡Sense 6 deals with abstract ideals, not physical size.

grand — 名詞