Synonyms for “Great”
Great has three common meanings — excellent, large in size, or important and distinguished. Pick the sense below for the best fit.
Quick answer: the most common synonyms for great are excellent, wonderful, and superb (excellent); large, huge, and vast (in size); and distinguished, prominent, and eminent (important).
1. Great as excellent (adjective)
Of very high quality — as in "a great movie."
Register: terrific is casual; superb and outstanding are stronger and more formal.
Example: "A great idea" → "an excellent / superb idea."
2. Great as large (adjective)
Big in size or amount — as in "a great distance."
Nuance: immense and vast stress scale; considerable is measured.
Example: "A great deal of effort" → "a considerable / vast amount of effort."
3. Great as important or distinguished (adjective)
Notable and admired — as in "a great leader."
Register: eminent and distinguished are formal; celebrated stresses fame.
Example: "A great scientist" → "a distinguished / eminent scientist."
Antonyms for “Great”
Another word for a "great" achievement
For a standout accomplishment, use outstanding, remarkable, exceptional, or monumental.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best synonym for "great"?
The best synonym for great depends on which of its senses you mean. For quality, use excellent or superb. For size, use vast or immense. For importance or standing, use distinguished.
What is the opposite of "great"?
The opposite of great tracks whichever sense you are using. For quality, it is poor or terrible; for size, small; for standing, obscure or minor. Because the word spans three unrelated meanings, there is no single antonym that covers it. Fix the sense first and the antonym follows.
What is a stronger word than "great"?
Stronger words than great include outstanding, exceptional, superb, and magnificent. Outstanding and exceptional both literally mean standing apart from the rest, so they lose force if applied to everything. Magnificent suits scale and spectacle rather than competence. Match the word to whether you are praising quality or scale.
Why does "great" work as both size and quality?
The word great carries both meanings because its original sense was purely size, and the approving sense grew out of it much later. That history is why phrases like a great distance and a great film sit side by side without sounding odd. It also means great can be ambiguous in writing, as in a great number of problems. Choosing a sense-specific synonym removes the ambiguity.