big

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++big1 /bɪɡ/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative bigger, superlative biggest)  1  size 大小SIZEBIG of more than average size or amount 大的 a big house 大房子 I need a bigger desk. 我需要一张大一点的桌子。 She had a big grin on her face. 她脸上挂着大大的笑容。 a big increase in crime 犯罪率的大幅上升 Los Angeles is the biggest city in California. 洛杉矶是加利福尼亚最大的城市。 The garage isn’t big enough for two cars. 这个车库不够大，停不下两辆汽车。 When they lose, they lose in a big way (=to a large degree). 他们要输就输得很惨。 There was this great big (=extremely big) spider in the sink. 洗涤槽里有只特大的蜘蛛。► see thesaurus at fat2  important 重要的IMPORTANT important and serious 重大的，重要的 a big decision 重大的决定 Buying your own house is a big commitment. 购买属于自己的房子可是件大事。 The big game is on Friday. 大赛于星期五举行。 There’s a big difference between understanding something and being able to explain it to others. 理解某事和能够向别人解释清楚，两者之间有很大的差别。 Everyone was getting ready for the big day (=a day when an important event will happen). 每个人都在为这个重要的日子做准备。► see thesaurus at important3  SUCCESSFULPOPULARpopular/successful 受欢迎的/成功的 successful or popular, especially in business or entertainment 〔尤指在商业和娱乐业中〕极受欢迎的，极成功的 Julia Roberts became a big star. 朱莉娅·罗伯茨成了大明星。 She’s very big in Australia. 她在澳大利亚很红。 After years as a small-time actor, he suddenly made it big (=became very successful) in Hollywood. 演了多年的配角之后，他突然在好莱坞红了起来。the big boys (=the most powerful people or companies) 极有影响力的人物[公司] → big cheese, big noise, → big shot at shot1(14), → big time14  older 较年长的 a) big sister/brotherFAMILY your older sister or brother 姐姐/哥哥 b) OLD/NOT NEWolder or more like an adult – used especially by children or when you are talking to children 长大了的〔尤为儿语〕 Come on, don’t cry. You’re a big girl now. 好了，别哭了。 你现在是个大女孩了。5  large degree 很大程度A LOT [only before noun] informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a) doing something to a large degree 程度深的a big eater/drinker/spender etc Des is a big gambler, you know. 你知道的，德斯是个大赌徒。be a big fan/admirer of somebody/something 是某人/某物的狂热崇拜者 b) done to a large degree or with great energy 程度深的；花大力气的give somebody a big hug/kiss Mama gave me a big hug. 妈妈紧紧地拥抱了我一下。give somebody a big hand (=hit your hands together with enthusiasm, to show you have enjoyed a performance) 为某人热烈地鼓掌6  BADbad 坏的 [only before noun] informal used to emphasize how bad something is 糟糕的〔表示强调〕 AIDS remains a big problem in many parts of the world. 艾滋病在世界上很多地方依然是一个重大问题。 Buying that house was a big mistake. 买那幢房子是一个大错。 I never said that, you big liar! 我从来没有说过那样的话，你这个大骗子！7  have big ideas/plans PLANto have impressive plans for the future 有雄心大志 I’ve got big plans for this place. 我对这个地方有宏大的计划。8  be big on something spoken a) to like something very much 非常喜欢某事物 I’m not big on kids. 我不是很喜欢小孩子。 b) to have a lot of a quality or feature 有明显的…特征 The new BMW is big on safety features. 新款宝马的安全性能很好。9  what’s the big idea? spokenASK A QUESTION used when someone has done something annoying, especially when you want them to explain why they did it 你这是什么意思？ Hey, what’s the big idea? Who said you could use my computer? 嘿！ 你这是什么意思？ 谁说你可以用我的电脑？10  generous 慷慨的it is big of somebody to do something spoken a) KINDused to say that someone is very kind or generous to do something 某人做某事很大度[慷慨] b) UNKINDused when you really think that someone is not kind or helpful at all 某人真够大度[大方]的〔反语〕 £5! That was big of her! 五英镑！ 她也真够大方的！11  big mouth spokenTELL A SECRET someone who has a big mouth cannot be trusted to keep things secret 多嘴多舌；嘴巴不严 I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth. 对不起，我不该多嘴的。me and my big mouth (=said when you wish you had not told someone a secret) 我真多嘴 → bigmouth12. letters 字母 informal big letters are capitals, for example G, R, A etc 大写的13. words 单词 informal big words are long or unusual and are difficult to read or understand 长而难读[懂]的，生僻的，深奥的14. be/get too big for your boots informalBOAST to be too proud of yourself 自以为了不起，自高自大，自视过高15. use/wield the big stick informalTHREATEN to threaten to use your power to get what you want 挥舞大棒，执行大棒政策〔用权力相威胁以达到自己的目的〕16. a big girl’s blouse British English informal someone, especially a man, who is not brave 软弱的男人，懦夫17  big up (to/for) somebody spoken informal used when you want to praise someone 某人真了不起 Big up to Kelly Holmes! She ran a superb race. 凯莉·霍姆斯真了不起！她比赛跑得很出色。 → think big at think1(38)n GRAMMAR: Order of adjectivesIf there is more than one adjective, the adjectives are usually used in a fixed order.You say: That’s a lovely big tree. ✗Don’t say: That’s a big lovely tree.You say: The title was in big black letters. ✗Don’t say: The title was in black big letters. THESAURUSbig 大的a big city 大城市a big guy 大个子a big mistake 重大的错误Lack of funding is the biggest problem. 缺少资金是最大的问题。nGetting a car has made a big difference to my life.large a slightly more formal word than big, used to describe objects and amounts 〔物体或数量〕大的〔比big略为正式〕a large bowl 大碗Large areas of the forest have been destroyed. 大片林区被毁。The museum attracts a large number of visitors. 这家博物馆吸引了大批参观者。major [only before noun] big and important 主要的，重大的Pollution is a major problem. 污染是个主要的问题。There has been a major change in government policy. 政府的政策有一项重大的改变。considerable/substantial quite big – used especially about amounts 〔尤指数量〕相当大的，很大的They have spent a considerable amount of money on the project. 他们在这个项目上花费了大笔资金。A substantial amount of heat is lost through the windows. 热量通过窗户时大量散失。nHe had a considerable influence on young musicians.very big 非常大的huge/massive/enormous extremely big 巨大的The table was enormous. 这张桌子非常大。a huge explosion 巨大的爆炸nTheir house is huge.nThere is a huge amount of work to be done.There has been a massive increase in oil prices. 油价大幅上涨。nThe company is massive, operating in 150 countries.nA massive fire destroyed more than thirty homes.nHe’s been under an enormous amount of stress recently.nThe changes will have an enormous impact.great [only before noun] very big – used especially to describe the level or number of something 〔尤指程度或数目〕巨大的He achieved great success in America. 他在美国获得了巨大的成功。The college offers a great number of courses. 这所学院开设了大量课程。a great advantage 巨大的优势vast extremely big – used about areas, distances, numbers, or amounts 〔面积、距离、数目或数量〕巨大的，广袤的vast areas of rainforest 大片的热带雨林A vast number of tourists visit the island every year. 每年有大量游客来这座岛上旅游。gigantic extremely big and much bigger than other things of the same type 巨大的，庞大的〔指胜过同类的其他事物〕Gigantic waves crashed onto the beach. 一排排巨浪冲上海滩。colossal extremely big – used about amounts or objects 巨大的〔用于指数量或物体〕James ran up a colossal phone bill. 詹姆斯欠下巨额电话账单。a colossal statue of Napoleon 一座巨型的拿破仑塑像tremendous having an extremely big effect 〔影响〕巨大的There have been some tremendous changes. 发生了一些巨变。My new job will be a tremendous challenge. 我的新工作将是一个巨大的挑战。nThe children were making a tremendous amount of noise.

Examples from the Corpus

big• These jeans are too big.• It's going to be a big adjustment for the kids whenever we move.• The wind got louder and the waves grew bigger and bigger.• To attract bigger audiences was not just a bonus, it was part of the whole logic of the industry.• She struggled up the hill, carrying the baby and her big black bag.• There will be some big changes in the way we work.• one of the biggest companies in the insurance business• I hear you're getting married - when's the big day?• a big difference in price• This rotative engine soon became greatly in demand and had a big effect on the mechanisation of factories.• The game works better if you have a bigger group.• He lives in a big house in upstate New York.• I've never been a big jazz fan.• If you think I'm coming with you, you're making a big mistake.• Graduation Day is one of those big occasions when everyone wants a souvenir photograph.• If the warren system is a big one it may require two guns to do the killing.• In fact, despite the dismal fundamentals, some of the biggest petroleum producers will record double-digit percentage increases in spending.• It's a simple repair that can prevent a big problem later.• The city has a big problem with drugs.• "Which is your car?" "The big red one next to the wall."• She's a cute baby with a big smile.• But this face was bigger; swollen and bigger still than the horror in the car.• From these particular big systems I have appropriated unifying principles for all large vivisystems.• Germany is much bigger than Britain.• The nearest big town is twenty miles away.• a big treein a big way• Actors are getting paid more than their worth all over Hollywood right now, and in a big way.• But progress is on the march in Normandy, and in a big way.• Colorado has taken to the sport in a big way.• His ambulance service has taken off in a big way.• National, Rickenbacker, Gibson and a hundred other manufacturers all went for lap-steel production in a big way.• Steak is back in a big way.• Way back, something went bad in a big way.• This is something he has carried in a big way into his later professional life.big difference• A concern for shareholders Inflation adjustments can make a big difference.• A small thing, but it makes a big difference.• But there is one big difference.• Such programs can make a big difference for the students they serve.• There were two big differences, however.• One of the big differences in the two technologies is self learning.• The biggest difference is in the size of the companies traded.• And that makes a big difference when you are selling roadkill.made it big• We had two flop records before we made it big.• And some otaku entrepreneurs have already made it big.• Gary Boyce is a local boy who made it big.• That politico, Gorbachev, is an amateur, a provincial hick who thinks he's made it big.• Unlike a good many tough guys who made it big in movies, Marvin didn't come from a particularly tough background.• So the debonair Simon had made it big in the financial world.• When he made it big, in the mid-Seventies, Dury was a 35-year-old former art college lecturer in callipers.a big eater/drinker/spender etc• Okay, so perhaps he wasn't known as a big drinker, but what the hell?• During the time she was living with the Abramses, Katelyn was happy and a big eater, Carter said.• While never a big eater, he did tend to snack it through the day and night.big problem• You've got a big problem.• If this election were about urgent crises, big problems, complex choices, the Democrat would walk it.• Now we needed to solve the second biggest problem in our lives, paying off the credit-card and installment debt.• Your biggest problem is one you yourself might create by over-reacting.• After teachers, the biggest problem is the shortage of supplies.• But Lissovsky's biggest problem is to persuade the gangsters who frequent the club to settle their differences elsewhere.• One of the biggest problems Merena faced was finding tyres capable of coping with that speed for that length of time.• This could help solve one of the textile industry's biggest problems, removing colouring and chemicals from waste water.big2 verb (bigged, bigging)  1 big somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb British English spoken informal a) to say that someone or something is very good, especially in public 〔尤指公开地〕称赞某人/某事物 He’s always on TV bigging up his new band. 他总是在电视上吹嘘自己的新乐队。b) big it up to spend a lot of money and enjoy yourself in a social situation, in a way that other people will notice 挥霍，招摇→ See Verb tableOrigin big (1300-1400) Probably from a Scandinavian language

big1 adjective →10-17
→n GRAMMAR1 →THESAURUS1big2 verbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

of Corpus than amount average more or size

big

I

big¹ S1 W1 /bɪɡ/ adjective (comparative bigger, superlative biggest)1.  SIZE of more than average size or amount:
    a big house
    I need a bigger desk.
    She had a big grin on her face.
    a big increase in crime
    Los Angeles is the biggest city in California.
    The garage isn’t big enough for two cars.
    When they lose, they lose in a big way (=to a large degree).
    There was this great big (=extremely big) spider in the sink.
2.  IMPORTANT important and serious:
    a big decision
    Buying your own house is a big commitment.
    The big game is on Friday.
    There’s a big difference between understanding something and being able to explain it to others.
    Everyone was getting ready for the big day (=a day when an important event will happen).
3.  POPULAR/SUCCESSFUL successful or popular, especially in business or entertainment:
    Julia Roberts became a big star.
    She’s very big in Australia.
    After years as a small-time actor, he suddenly made it big (=became very successful) in Hollywood.
    the big boys (=the most powerful people or companies) ⇨ big cheese, big noise, ⇨ big shot at shot¹(14), ⇨ big time
4.  OLDER
  a. big sister/brother your older sister or brother
  b. older or more like an adult – used especially by children or when you are talking to children:
    Come on, don’t cry. You’re a big girl now.
5.  LARGE DEGREE  [only before noun] informal
  a. doing something to a large degree
    a big eater/drinker/spender etc
    Des is a big gambler, you know.
    be a big fan/admirer of somebody/something
  b. done to a large degree or with great energy
    give somebody a big hug/kiss
    Mama gave me a big hug.
    give somebody a big hand (=clap loudly)
6.  BAD  [only before noun] informal used to emphasize how bad something is:
    AIDS remains a big problem in many parts of the world.
    Buying that house was a big mistake.
    I never said that, you big liar__
7. have big ideas/plans to have impressive plans for the future:
    I’ve got big plans for this place.
8. be big on something spoken
  a. to like something very much:
    I’m not big on kids.
  b. to have a lot of a quality or feature:
    The new BMW is big on safety features.
9. what’s the big idea? spoken used when someone has done something annoying, especially when you want them to explain why they did it:
    Hey, what’s the big idea? Who said you could use my computer?
10.  GENEROUS it is big of somebody to do something spoken
  a. used to say that someone is very kind or generous to do something
  b. used when you really think that someone is not kind or helpful at all:
    £5__ That was big of her__
11. big mouth spoken someone who has a big mouth cannot be trusted to keep things secret:
    I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth.
    me and my big mouth (=said when you wish you had not told someone a secret) ⇨ bigmouth
12.  LETTERS informal big letters are capitals, for example G, R, A etc
13.  WORDS informal big words are long or unusual and are difficult to read or understand
14. be/get too big for your boots informal to be too proud of yourself
15. use/wield the big stick informal to threaten to use your power to get what you want
16. a big girl’s blouse British English informal someone, especially a man, who is not brave
17. big up (to/for) somebody spoken informal used when you want to praise someone:
    Big up to Kelly Holmes__ She ran a superb race.
⇨ think big at think¹(39)
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ big: a big city | a big guy | a big mistake | Lack of funding is the biggest problem. | Getting a car has made a big difference to my life.
   ▪ large a slightly more formal word than big, used to describe objects and amounts: a large bowl | Large areas of the forest have been destroyed. | The museum attracts a large number of visitors.
   ▪ major [only before noun] big and important: Pollution is a major problem. | There has been a major change in government policy.
   ▪ considerable/substantial quite big – used especially about amounts: They have spent a considerable amount of money on the project. | A substantial amount of heat is lost through the windows. | He had a considerable influence on young musicians.
■ very big
   ▪ huge/massive/enormous extremely big: The table was enormous. | a huge explosion | Their house is huge. | There is a huge amount of work to be done. | There has been a massive increase in oil prices. | The company is massive, operating in 150 countries. | A massive fire destroyed more than thirty homes. | He’s been under an enormous amount of stress recently. | The changes will have an enormous impact.
   ▪ great [only before noun] very big – used especially to describe the level or number of something: He achieved great success in America. | The college offers a great number of courses. | a great advantage
   ▪ vast extremely big – used about areas, distances, numbers, or amounts: vast areas of rainforest | A vast number of tourists visit the island every year.
   ▪ gigantic extremely big and much bigger than other things of the same type: Gigantic waves crashed onto the beach.
   ▪ colossal extremely big – used about amounts or objects: James ran up a colossal phone bill. | a colossal statue of Napoleon
   ▪ tremendous having an extremely big effect: There have been some tremendous changes. | My new job will be a tremendous challenge. | The children were making a tremendous amount of noise.

II

big² verb (past tense and past participle bigged, present participle bigging)
     
big somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verb British English spoken informal
  1. to say that someone or something is very good, especially in public:
    He’s always on TV bigging up his new band.
  2. big it up to spend a lot of money and enjoy yourself in a social situation, in a way that other people will notice