Describing Size: A Comprehensive Guide to Adjectives for “Big”

The best adjectives for big depend on what is big and how big it is. For general size use large, sizeable, substantial; for very big, huge, enormous, vast, massive, gigantic, immense; for big in a particular direction, tall, wide, broad, deep, long, thick; for big people, tall, broad-shouldered, heavy-set, burly, plus-size; and for big ideas or events, major, significant, ambitious, momentous. Below each group comes with example sentences, plus a quick picker, a scale from big to colossal, words that are easy to misuse and a short practice.

Quick picker

From big to colossal: a rough scale

These words overlap, but most native speakers would rank them roughly like this, from least to most:

big / large → sizeable → huge → enormous → massive → gigantic → immense → colossal

Vast sits near the top too, but it is mostly used for areas and amounts rather than objects: a vast desert, a vast sum of money. Words near the top are extreme adjectives, so they go with absolutely or truly rather than very: absolutely enormous, not very enormous.

For the very top of the scale, see adjectives for huge, and for the other end, adjectives for small.

General size

• large – a little more formal than big; preferred for sizes, quantities and clothing. a large coffee, a large number of complaints
• sizeable / sizable – fairly large. They bought a sizeable plot of land.
• bulky – big and awkward to carry. Bulky items such as sofas are collected separately.
• hefty – big and heavy; also used for costs. a hefty suitcase, a hefty fine
• oversized – bigger than usual, often on purpose. an oversized jumper
• king-size / jumbo – bigger than the standard version; product words. a king-size bed, jumbo prawns

Very big things

• huge – very big; the everyday choice. A huge wave hit the harbour wall.
• enormous – extremely big. The whale was enormous, longer than the boat.
• massive – big and heavy or solid. massive stone walls. In informal speech it just means very big or important: a massive party.
• gigantic / giant – like a giant. a gigantic statue, a giant tortoise (giant as an adjective goes before the noun only).
• immense – extremely big, often for something hard to measure. an immense effort, immense pressure
• colossal – enormous, often for buildings, statues or mistakes. a colossal waste of money
• monstrous – frighteningly big, or shockingly bad.
• mammoth – very large, often for tasks. a mammoth project

Big spaces and areas

• vast – extremely large in area. the vast plains of Mongolia
• spacious / roomy – plenty of space inside. a spacious kitchen, a roomy car
• expansive – covering a wide area. expansive views over the bay
• sprawling – spread out, often untidily. a sprawling city, a sprawling estate
• boundless / endless – seeming to have no limit. the boundless ocean
• cavernous – large, dark and hollow like a cave. a cavernous warehouse

Big in one direction

• tall – for people, trees, buildings. a tall building (but a high mountain, a high wall; see below).
• high – for distance from the ground, mountains, ceilings. a high ceiling
• long – end to end. a long table
• wide / broad – side to side. a wide road, broad shoulders
• deep – downward or inward. a deep lake, a deep cupboard
• thick – distance through. a thick book, thick walls
• towering – very tall, rising above everything. towering cliffs

Our page of adjectives for tall has more on height.

Big people: respectful words

Size words for people can easily hurt. Choose a word that describes what you actually mean, and keep it neutral.

• tall – height only. He’s tall, about two metres.
• broad / broad-shouldered – wide across the shoulders.
• well-built / muscular / strapping – big and strong, positive. a strapping young farmer
• burly – big, strong and heavy; often used of men. a burly security guard
• stocky – short and solidly built.
• heavy-set / large – neutral, polite for body size.
• plus-size – used in clothing and fashion.
• curvy – for women with a full figure; usually positive.
• Words like fat and obese are blunt or medical; avoid them in descriptions of real people unless the context needs them.

Big amounts and numbers

• large – the standard with number and amount: a large number of students.
• considerable / substantial – formal, fairly large. a substantial increase in sales
• generous – more than enough, positive. a generous portion
• whopping – informal, surprisingly large. a whopping 40% discount
• record – the largest so far. a record crowd

Big ideas, problems and events

• major – important, serious. a major problem, a major city
• significant – large enough to matter. a significant change in policy
• serious – for problems and illnesses. a serious mistake
• momentous – very important for the future. a momentous decision
• sweeping / far-reaching – affecting many things. sweeping reforms
• ambitious / grand – for plans. an ambitious plan to rebuild the station
• big-hearted – generous and kind (for people).

Big animals, plants and natural features

• giant / gigantic – a giant squid, gigantic redwoods
• hulking – big, heavy and clumsy-looking. A hulking bear lumbered out of the trees.
• lofty – very tall, for trees, peaks and ceilings; a little literary. lofty pines
• mighty – big and powerful. the mighty Amazon
• bulbous – round and swollen. a bulbous nose, bulbous roots
• full-grown – adult size. A full-grown elephant can weigh several tonnes.

Showing size in writing

An adjective tells the reader something is big; a comparison makes them see it. Compare:

• The dog was enormous.
• The dog was enormous: when it stood on its back legs, it could rest its paws on my shoulders.

Three tricks help. First, measure against something familiar (as tall as a bus, the size of a football pitch). Second, show the effect on people (we had to tilt our heads back to see the top). Third, use one strong adjective rather than three weak ones: a towering wave beats a very big, huge, giant wave.

Also think about the feeling. Vast can be awe-inspiring or lonely; hulking and monstrous are threatening; generous and roomy are warm and positive. The size may be the same, but the picture in the reader’s mind is very different.

Informal and playful words

Ginormous, humongous, mega, whopping, hulking, honking (American slang). They are fun in speech and stories for children, but too casual for essays and reports. A humongous slice of cake is fine in a text to a friend.

Describing yourself in vague or modest terms

When people describe their own size in a dating profile or a casual chat, they often choose softer, less exact words: tall-ish, solid, sturdy, curvy, a bit on the large side, average build, athletic. These are fine, and readers understand them as gentle approximations.

Words that are easy to misuse

• Tall vs high. People and narrow upright things are tall; mountains, walls and distances above the ground are high. A tall man, a high shelf.
• Big vs large with abstract nouns. A big mistake sounds natural; a large mistake does not. A large number is standard; a big number is informal.
• Great as a size word is old-fashioned except in names (the Great Wall) or set phrases (a great deal of).
• Giant before a noun only: a giant panda, not the panda is giant (say huge).
• Enormity means great wickedness or seriousness in careful usage, not just size. To be safe, use size or scale for physical bigness.

Common mistakes

Practice

1. The new flat has three bedrooms and a (spacious / bulky) living room.
2. Sending everyone home was a (major / gigantic) decision for the school.
3. The suitcase was too (bulky / vast) for the overhead locker.
4. The (vast / tall) desert stretched to the horizon.
5. He’s (burly / spacious), with arms like tree trunks.
6. We were given a (generous / towering) portion of chips.

Answers: 1 spacious, 2 major, 3 bulky, 4 vast, 5 burly, 6 generous.

FAQ

Can “big” describe a person’s importance?

Yes, informally: a big name in fashion, a big star, the big boss. In formal writing, use prominent, influential, leading or senior.

Is “bigger” or “more big” correct?

Bigger and biggest. The g doubles because big ends in one vowel plus one consonant, as in fatter and hotter.

What is a fancy word for big?

Substantial, considerable, immense, colossal, or monumental for buildings and achievements.

What is the difference between big and large?

They mean the same in most contexts, but large is slightly more formal and is the normal word for sizes, numbers and amounts (large, medium, small; a large quantity). Big is more common in speech and is used for importance or emotion: a big day, my big brother, a big mistake. You would not say my large brother to mean older.

What is the biggest word for big?

Colossal and immense sit at the top of the scale; astronomical is used for numbers and costs.

For more on measuring and describing size in general, see adjectives for size.

Checked against Merriam-Webster, the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook. Spotted an error? Tell us — see our editorial policy.