Big vs. Large: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Big" often implies considerable size or importance, while "Large" refers more specifically to size, especially in comparison to others of its kind.
Key Differences
Big is a term that generally denotes a considerable size or extent, often used in a broad, sometimes subjective context. It can imply more than just physical size, extending to ideas like importance or impact. Large, in contrast, is more specific and quantitative, typically used to describe the physical size of an object or entity in relation to others.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
In usage, big often carries a connotation of significance or prominence, not just physical dimensions. For instance, a 'big decision' refers to its importance, not its size. Large, however, is more literal and objective, focusing solely on physical dimensions, as in a 'large suitcase', which refers only to its physical measurement.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
The word big can also imply an emotional or qualitative aspect. For example, 'big heart' suggests generosity, not physical size. Large lacks this emotional connotation and is more straightforward, describing something that is greater than average in size or number, like a 'large crowd'.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Big is often used in colloquial speech and can have a more informal tone. It is versatile and can be applied in various contexts beyond physical size. Large, on the other hand, is more formal and is often used in technical or specific descriptions, such as measurements or quantities.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
In summary, while both big and large refer to size, big encompasses a wider range of meanings including importance and impact, and is more subjective. Large is more objective, focusing on actual physical dimensions and is commonly used in more formal or specific contexts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Connotation
Can imply importance or impact
Specifically refers to physical size
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Nov 10, 2023
Emotional Implication
Can have emotional or qualitative aspects
Lacks emotional connotations
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Nov 10, 2023
Formality
Often informal, used in everyday speech
More formal, used in specific descriptions
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Nov 10, 2023
Context
Versatile in various contexts
Typically used for physical dimensions or quantities
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Nov 10, 2023
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Big and Large Definitions
Large
Extensive in scope or degree.
The project had a large impact on the community.
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Nov 10, 2023
Large
Significant in number or quantity.
A large number of people attended the concert.
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Nov 10, 2023
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Large
Important; significant
Had a large role in the negotiations.
A large producer of paper goods.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Older or eldest. Used especially of a sibling
My big brother is leaving for college next week.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Of great magnitude or intensity; grand
“a rigid resistance to the large emotions” (Stephen Koch).
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Having or exercising considerable authority, control, or influence
A big official.
A big chief.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Conspicuous in position, wealth, or importance; prominent
A big figure in the peace movement.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Of considerable or relatively great size or extent.
Russia is a large country.
The fruit-fly has large eyes for its body size.
He has a large collection of stamps.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
(Informal) Widely liked, used, or practiced; popular
"The Minneapolis indie-rock band was big in the blogosphere, beloved by hipsters, and unknown to pretty much everyone else" (Robert Levine).
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
With considerable success
Made it big with their recent best-selling album.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
In a thorough or unmistakable way; emphatically
Failed big at the box office.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
(nautical) Crossing the line of a ship's course in a favorable direction; said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
An old musical note, equal to two longas, four breves, or eight semibreves.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.
She was big with child.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
A thousand dollars/pounds.
Getting a car tricked out like that will cost you 50 large.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
(informal) Well-endowed, possessing large breasts in the case of a woman or a large penis in the case of a man.
Whoa, Nadia has gotten pretty big since she hit puberty.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
An item labelled or denoted as being that size.
One small coffee and two larges, please.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
(informal) Adult; (of a child) older.
Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.
We were just playing, and then some big kids came and chased us away.
She did it all on her own like a big girl.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Old, mature. Used to imply that somebody is too old for something, or acting immaturely.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
.informal Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.
That's very big of you; thank you!
I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Exceeding most other things of like kind in bulk, capacity, quantity, superficial dimensions, or number of constituent units; big; great; capacious; extensive; - opposed to small; as, a large horse; a large house or room; a large lake or pool; a large jug or spoon; a large vineyard; a large army; a large city.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
(informal) Important or significant.
What's so big about that? I do it all the time.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Abundant; ample; as, a large supply of provisions.
We have yet large day.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Popular.
That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Full in statement; diffuse; full; profuse.
I might be very large upon the importance and advantages of education.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Having more than usual power or capacity; having broad sympathies and generous impulses; comprehensive; - said of the mind and heart.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
(informal) Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns
You are a big liar.
Why are you in such a big hurry?
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Operating on a large scale, especially if therefore having undue or sinister influence.
There were concerns about the ethics of big pharma.
Big money
Big Tech, Big Steel (large or influential tech or steel companies)
Big Science (science performed by large terms, of large scope, with government or corporate funding)
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Enthusiastic (about).
I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Crossing the line of a ship's course in a favorable direction; - said of the wind when it is abeam, or between the beam and the quarter.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
In a large amount or to a large extent.
He won big betting on the croquet championship.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
A musical note, formerly in use, equal to two longs, four breves, or eight semibreves.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
On a large scale, expansively.
You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent;
A large city
Set out for the big city
A large sum
A big (or large) barn
A large family
Big businesses
A big expenditure
A large number of newspapers
A big group of scientists
Large areas of the world
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Fairly large or important in effect; influential;
Played a large role in the negotiations
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
(university slang) A initiated member of a sorority who acts as a mentor to a new member (the little).
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Ostentatiously lofty in style;
A man given to large talk
Tumid political prose
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Generous and understanding and tolerant;
A heart big enough to hold no grudges
That's very big of you to be so forgiving
A large and generous spirit
A large heart
Magnanimous toward his enemies
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Conspicuous in position or importance;
A big figure in the movement
Big man on campus
He's very large in financial circles
A prominent citizen
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Having broad power and range and scope;
Taking the large view
A large effect
A large sympathy
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
In an advanced stage of pregnancy;
Was big with child
Was great with child
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; - often figuratively.
[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.
God hath not in heaven a bigger argument.
I talked big to them at first.
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.
"Bear interchanges in local use, now with barley, now with bigg."
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Oct 19, 2023
Large
Generous in amount or scale.
She made a large donation to the charity.
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Nov 10, 2023
Big
Above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent;
A large city
Set out for the big city
A large sum
A big (or large) barn
A large family
Big businesses
A big expenditure
A large number of newspapers
A big group of scientists
Large areas of the world
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Of very great significance;
Deciding to drop the atom bomb was a very big decision
A momentous event
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Conspicuous in position or importance;
A big figure in the movement
Big man on campus
He's very large in financial circles
A prominent citizen
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Very intense;
A bad headache
In a big rage
Had a big (or bad) shock
A bad earthquake
A bad storm
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Feeling self-importance;
Too big for his britches
Had a swelled head
He was swelled with pride
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Generous and understanding and tolerant;
A heart big enough to hold no grudges
That's very big of you to be so forgiving
A large and generous spirit
A large heart
Magnanimous toward his enemies
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
Given or giving freely;
Was a big tipper
The bounteous goodness of God
Bountiful compliments
A freehanded host
A handsome allowance
Saturday's child is loving and giving
A liberal backer of the arts
A munificent gift
Her fond and openhanded grandfather
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Oct 19, 2023
Big
In an advanced stage of pregnancy;
Was big with child
Was great with child
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Oct 19, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can 'big' have emotional connotations?
Yes, big can imply emotional or qualitative aspects, like generosity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
What does 'big' imply in general?
Big typically implies considerable size, importance, or prominence.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Is 'big' used in both physical and abstract contexts?
Yes, big can be used to describe both physical size and abstract concepts like importance.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Is 'large' more formal than 'big'?
Generally, large is considered more formal and specific than big.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Can 'large' be used to describe scope?
Yes, large can describe an extensive scope or degree of something.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Is 'large' used for quantitative measurements?
Yes, large is often used to describe physical size in a specific, quantitative way.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Can 'big' refer to popularity?
Yes, big can refer to the extent of popularity or fame.
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Nov 10, 2023
Does 'large' focus on physical dimensions only?
Primarily, yes. Large usually refers to physical dimensions or quantities.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Is 'big' often used in informal speech?
Yes, big is commonly used in informal, everyday language.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Does 'large' imply importance?
Not necessarily. Large primarily refers to size, not importance.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Is it correct to say 'a big amount'?
While colloquially acceptable, 'a large amount' is more formally correct.
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Nov 10, 2023
Does 'big' always mean physically large?
Not necessarily. Big can also imply significance or prominence beyond physical size.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Are 'big' and 'large' interchangeable?
In some contexts, they can be, but they have different connotations.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
How does context affect the use of 'big' and 'large'?
Context determines whether these words are used for physical size, quantity, or abstract concepts like importance.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Can 'large' describe a personality trait?
Not usually. Large is more about physical or quantitative attributes.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Does 'big' have a broader usage than 'large'?
Yes, big has a broader and more subjective range of meanings.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
How is 'large' used in numbers?
Large is used to denote something significant in number or quantity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Can 'large' refer to generosity?
Typically, large refers to size or quantity, not generosity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Can 'big' be used in a technical context?
It's less common, as 'large' is typically preferred for technical, specific descriptions.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
Is 'large' suitable for describing abstract concepts?
No, large is more suited for describing physical dimensions or quantities.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 10, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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