Word forms: comparative grander, superlative grandest, plural grandslanguage note: The form grand is used as the plural for meaning [sense 8].
1. adjective
If you describe a building or a piece of scenery as grand, you mean that its size or appearance is very impressive.
...this grand building in the center of town.
The scenery of South Island is on a grand scale.
Synonyms: impressive, great, large, magnificent More Synonyms of grand
2. adjective
Grand plans or actions are intended to achieve important results.
...a passionate anti-slavery crusader with grand ideas for education.
3. adjective
People who are grand think they are important or socially superior.
[disapproval]
He is grander and even richer than the Prince of Wales.
The Duke of Clarence will be there, and many of your grander friends.
4. adjective
If you describe an activity or experience as grand, you mean that it is very pleasant and enjoyable.
Few museums could rival the Old Royal Observatory at Greenwich for a grand day out.
The dinner was a grand success.
He was having a grand time meeting new sorts of people.
Synonyms: excellent, great [informal], fine, wonderful More Synonyms of grand
5. adjective
You can describe someone or something as grand when you admire or approve of them very much.
[informal, spoken, approval]
He was a grand bloke.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A grand total is one that is the final amount or the final result of a calculation.
It came to a grand total of £220,329.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Grand is often used in the names of buildings such as hotels, especially when they are very large.
They stayed at The Grand Hotel, Budapest.
8. countable noun
A grand is a thousand dollars or a thousand pounds.
[informal]
They're paying you ten grand now for those adaptations of old plays.
9. countable noun [usually singular]
A grand is the same as a grand piano.
10. See also grandly
More Synonyms of grand
grand in British English
(ɡrænd)
adjective
1.
large or impressive in size, extent, or consequence
grand mountain scenery
2.
characterized by or attended with magnificence or display; sumptuous
a grand feast
3.
of great distinction or pretension; dignified or haughty
4.
designed to impress
he punctuated his story with grand gestures
5.
very good; wonderful
6.
comprehensive; complete
a grand total
7.
worthy of respect; fine
a grand old man
8.
large or impressive in conception or execution
grand ideas
9.
most important; chief
the grand arena
noun
10. short for grand piano
11. Word forms: pluralgrand slang
a thousand pounds or dollars
Derived forms
grandly (ˈgrandly)
adverb
grandness (ˈgrandness)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Old French, from Latin grandis
grand- in British English
prefix
(in designations of kinship) one generation removed in ascent or descent
grandson
grandfather
Word origin
from French grand-, on the model of Latin magnus in such phrases as avunculus magnus great-uncle
grand in American English
(grænd)
adjective
1.
higher in rank, status, or dignity than others having the same title
a grand duke
2.
most important; chief; main; principal
the grand ballroom
3.
imposing because of great size, beauty, and extent; magnificent
grand scenery
4.
handsome and luxurious; characterized by splendor and display
a grand banquet
5.
eminent; distinguished; illustrious
6.
self-important; pretentious; haughty
7.
lofty and dignified, as in style
8.
complete; overall
the grand total
9. Informal
very good; excellent, delightful, admirable, etc.: a general term of approval
10. Music
full; complete
a grand chorus
noun
11.
grand piano
12. Word forms: pluralgrand US, Slang
a thousand dollars
SYNONYMY NOTE: grand is applied to that which makes a strong impression because of its greatness (in sizeor some favorable quality), dignity, and splendor [the Grand Canyon]; magnificent suggests a surpassing beauty, richness, or splendor, or an exalted or glorious quality[a magnificent voice]; impose verb transitive suggests that which strikingly impresses one by its size, dignity, or excellenceof character [an imposing array of facts]; stately suggests that which is imposing in dignified grace and may imply a greatness of size[a stately mansion]; majestic adds to stately the idea of lofty grandeur [the majestic Rockies]; august suggests an exalted dignity or impressiveness such as inspires awe [an august personage]; grandiose is often used disparagingly of a grandeur that is affected or exaggerated [a grandiose manner]
Derived forms
grandly (ˈgrandly)
adjective
grandness (ˈgrandness)
noun
Word origin
ME graunt < OFr grand, grant < L grandis, full-grown, great (replacing magnus in LL & Romance languages), prob. < IE base *gwrendh-, to swell up > Gr brenthos, pride
grand- in American English
(grænd)
of the generation older (or younger) than
grandmother, grandson
see also great-
Word origin
OFr (see grand), replacing OE ealde-, ME olde-: see old
Examples of 'grand' in a sentence
grand
This is a fine restoration and reuse of a grand building.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The grandest monuments are still of imperial vintage.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Just think what you could do with a whopping ten grand.
The Sun (2008)
This is a bargain at less than two grand.
The Sun (2016)
There are many times when six grand looks like a lot of money.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We want to protect the festive nature of the grand prix.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is probably the biggest match of the season next to the final of a grand slam.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The empire was not the product of a grand design.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
He certainly raises many grand questions that get lightly addressed or go unanswered.
Christianity Today (2000)
What do you call a collection of grand old residences?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
And you have played a grand total of zero minutes of league football this year.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Yesterday the only thing grand was the final whistle.
The Sun (2010)
The skeletons of grand buildings haunt the graveyard that once was a bustling neighbourhood.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He still has the grand piano that he had when we were growing up.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But the charity is absolutely right to turn down this ten grand.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
So the language is likely to be less grand.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
That six grand would have been recouped within ten seconds of the fine being imposed.
The Sun (2009)
He had lost two consecutive sets and looked like losing his fifth grand slam final.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He is a green jacket away from being only the sixth man in history to complete the career grand slam.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Repair will cost over a grand.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It would have cost five grand.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
New Zealand completed a grand slam of victories over the home unions four months ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
One grand prix of the season in Melbourne yesterday with sublime ease.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Such is the grand design, the plan of campaign.
Eccleshall, Robert English Conservatism since the Restoration: An introduction and anthology (1990)
In other languages
grand
British English: grand /ɡrænd/ ADJECTIVE
If you describe a building or landscape as grand, you mean that it is splendid or impressive.
...their rather grand house.
American English: grand
Arabic: عَظِيم
Brazilian Portuguese: grandioso
Chinese: 盛大的
Croatian: veličanstven
Czech: velkolepý
Danish: stor
Dutch: groots
European Spanish: grandioso
Finnish: mahtava
French: magnifique
German: großartig
Greek: επιβλητικός
Italian: grandioso
Japanese: 壮大な
Korean: 웅대한
Norwegian: storartet
Polish: wielki
European Portuguese: grandioso
Romanian: magnific
Russian: величественный
Latin American Spanish: grandioso
Swedish: storslagen
Thai: ยิ่งใหญ่
Turkish: gösterişli
Ukrainian: великий
Vietnamese: hùng vĩ
All related terms of 'grand'
Grand Est
a region of E France formed in 2016 from the former regions of Alsace , Champagne-Ardenne , and Lorraine
grand mal
a form of epilepsy characterized by loss of consciousness for up to five minutes and violent convulsions
Grand Pré
a village in SE Canada , in W Nova Scotia : setting of Longfellow's Evangeline
baby grand
a small grand piano , approximately 5 feet long
Grand Banks
a part of the continental shelf in the Atlantic , extending for about 560 km (350 miles) off the SE coast of Newfoundland : meeting place of the cold Labrador Current and the warm Gulf Stream , producing frequent fogs and formerly rich fishing grounds
Grand Canal
a canal in E China , extending north from Hangzhou to Tianjin : the longest canal in China, now partly silted up; central section , linking the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers , finished in 486 bc ; north section finished by Kublai Khan between 1282 and 1292. Length: about 1600 km (1000 miles)
grand chain
a figure in formation dances, such as the lancers and Scottish reels , in which couples split up and move around in a circle in opposite directions, passing all other dancers until reaching their original partners
grand duchy
the territory , state, or principality of a grand duke or grand duchess
grand duke
a prince or nobleman who rules a territory, state, or principality
Grand Falls
→ Churchill Falls
grand final
the final game of the season in any of various sports , esp football
grand hotel
A hotel is a building where people stay , for example on holiday , paying for their rooms and meals .
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury, usually in the United States , which considers a criminal case in order to decide if someone should be tried in a court of law.
Grand Lama
either of two high priests of Lamaism , the Dalai Lama or the Panchen Lama
Grand Manan
a Canadian island, off the SW coast of New Brunswick : separated from the coast of Maine by the Grand Manan Channel . Area: 147 sq km (57 sq miles)
grand monde
fashionable society ; high society
Grand Mufti
the titular head of the Muslim community in Jerusalem and formerly the chief constitutional administrator there
grand opera
an opera that has a serious plot and is entirely in musical form, with no spoken dialogue
grand piano
A grand piano is a large piano whose strings are set horizontally to the ground . Grand pianos are used especially for giving concerts and making recordings .
Grand Prix
A Grand Prix is one of a series of races for very powerful racing cars ; also used sometimes in the names of competitions in other sports.
grand slam
In sport , a Grand Slam tournament is a major one.
Grand Terre
→ Grande-Terre
grand theft
→ grand larceny
grand tier
the first tier of boxes after the parquet circle in a large theater or opera house
grand total
a final total including everything
grand tour
The Grand Tour was a journey round the main cities of Europe that young men from rich families used to make as part of their education.
boudoir grand
a domestic grand piano between 5 and 6 feet in length
concert grand
a full-size grand piano , usually around 7 feet in length
Grand Bahama
an island in the Atlantic , in the W Bahamas. Pop: 46 994 (2000). Area: 1114 sq km (430 sq miles)
grand bargain
A bargain is an agreement , especially a formal business agreement, in which two people or groups agree what each of them will do, pay, or receive.
Grand Canary
an island in the Atlantic , in the Canary Islands: part of the Spanish province of Las Palmas . Capital: Las Palmas. Pop: 771 333 (2002 est). Area: 1533 sq km (592 sq miles)
Grand Canyon
a gorge of the Colorado River in N Arizona , extending from its junction with the Little Colorado River to Lake Mead ; cut by vertical river erosion through the multicoloured strata of a high plateau ; partly contained in the Grand Canyon National Park , covering 2610 sq km (1008 sq miles). Length: 451 km (280 miles). Width : 6 km (4 miles) to 29 km (18 miles). Greatest depth : over 1.5 km (1 mile )
Grand Coulee
a canyon in central Washington State, over 120 m (400 ft) deep , at the N end of which is situated the Grand Coulee Dam , on the Columbia River. Height of dam: 168 m (550 ft). Length of dam: 1310 m (4300 ft)
grand duchess
the wife or a widow of a grand duke
grand finale
an impressive end to something
grand gesture
A gesture is something that you say or do in order to express your attitude or intentions , often something that you know will not have much effect.
Grand Guignol
a brief sensational play intended to horrify
grand larceny
(formerly in England) the theft of property valued at over 12 pence . Abolished in 1827
Grand Marnier
a French cognac-based liqueur with an orange flavour
Grand Master
the title borne by the head of any of various societies, orders, and other organizations, such as the Templars or Freemasons , or the various martial arts
grand opening
an exciting event to mark the opening of a business or building
grand passion
an intense or overwhelming attraction or love
Grand Prairie
city in NE Tex.: suburb of Dallas: pop. 127,000
Grand Rapids
a city in SW Michigan : electronics , car parts. Pop: 195 601 (2003 est)
grand siècle
the 17th century in French art and literature , esp the classical period of Louis XIV
grand vizier
(formerly) the chief officer or minister of state in the Ottoman Empire and other Muslim countries
grand ambition
If you have an ambition to do or achieve something, you want very much to do it or achieve it.
grand coalition
A coalition is a government consisting of people from two or more political parties.
Grand National
→ the Grand National
grand seigneur
a dignified or aristocratic man
Chinese translation of 'grand'
grand
(ɡrænd)
adj
(= impressive)
[building, landscape]壮(壯)丽(麗)的 (zhuànglì de)
[scheme, design]宏伟(偉)的 (hóngwěi de)
(= wonderful) 美好的 (měihǎo de)
n
(= a thousand pounds/dollars) 1000英镑(鎊)/美元 (yī qiān yīngbàng/měiyuán)
grand total总(總)数(數) (zǒngshù)
1 (adjective)
Definition
large or impressive in size or appearance
a grand building in the centre of town
Synonyms
impressive
The film's special effects are particularly impressive.
great
large
The gang finally left with a large amount of cash and jewellery.
magnificent
a magnificent country house in wooded grounds
striking
fine
princely
the embodiment of princely magnificence
imposing
An imposing figure loomed over me.
superb
glorious
a glorious Edwardian opera house
noble
splendid
a splendid Victorian mansion
gorgeous
Some of these Renaissance buildings are absolutely gorgeous.
luxurious
a luxurious hotel
eminent
majestic
a majestic country home
regal
Never has she looked so regal.
stately
monumental
sublime
the sublime beauty of nature
sumptuous
a sumptuous feast
grandiose
opulent
an opulent lifestyle
palatial
a palatial Hollywood mansion
ostentatious
splendiferous (facetious)
Opposites
undignified
,
unimposing
2 (adjective)
Definition
ambitious or important
He arrived in America full of grand schemes and lofty dreams.
Synonyms
ambitious
Their goal was extraordinarily ambitious.
great
glorious
He had a glorious career spanning more than six decades.
lofty
grandiose
Not one of his grandiose plans has ever come to anything.
exalted
I seldom move in such exalted circles.
ostentatious
the ostentatious lifestyle of the super-rich
3 (adjective)
Definition
dignified or haughty
She's too busy with her grand new friends to bother with us now.
Synonyms
superior
Finch gave a superior smile.
great
the great cultural achievements of the past
lordly
the site of a lordly mansion
noble
Although he was of noble birth he lived as a poor man.
elevated
My new job has given me a certain elevated status.
eminent
an eminent public figure
majestic
dignified
He conducted the interview in a dignified and professional manner.
stately
Instead of moving at his usual stately pace, he was almost running.
lofty
Amid the chaos, he had lofty aims.
august
the august surroundings of the Liberal Club
illustrious
the most illustrious scientists of the century
pompous
pretentious
haughty
4 (adjective)
Definition
excellent or wonderful
He was having a grand time meeting new people.
Synonyms
excellent
We complimented him on doing an excellent job.
great (informal)
It's a great film; you must see it.
fine
This is a fine book.
wonderful
I've always thought he was a wonderful actor.
very good
brilliant
My sister's given me a brilliant book.
outstanding
an outstanding tennis player
smashing (informal)
It was a smashing success.
superb
a superb 18-hole golf course
first-class
divine (informal)
You look simply divine.
marvellous (informal)
He certainly is a marvellous actor.
terrific (informal)
What a terrific idea!
splendid
The book includes a wealth of splendid photographs.
awesome (slang)
the awesome responsibility of sending troops into combat
world-class
He was determined to become a world-class tennis player.
admirable
The film tells its story with admirable economy.
super (informal)
We had a super time.
first-rate
They were dealing with a first-rate professional.
splendiferous (facetious)
Opposites
bad
,
poor
,
terrible
,
awful
,
pants (informal)
,
crappy (slang)
,
poxy (slang)
,
chickenshit (US, slang)
5 (adjective)
the federal grand jury
Synonyms
chief
Financial stress is acknowledged as a chief reason for divorce.
The job went to one of his chief rivals.
highest
lead
Cossiga's reaction is the lead story in the Italian press.
leading
Britain's future as a leading industrial nation depends on investment.
head
I had the head man out from the gas company.
main
My main concern now is to protect the children.
supreme
He proposes to make himself the supreme overlord.
principal
Their principal concern is that of winning the next election.
big-time (informal)
major league (informal)
pre-eminent
He is the pre-eminent political figure in the country.
Opposites
little
,
small
,
secondary
,
inferior
,
trivial
,
insignificant
,
unimportant
Additional synonyms
in the sense of admirable
Definition
deserving or inspiring admiration
The film tells its story with admirable economy.
Synonyms
praiseworthy,
good,
great (informal),
fine,
capital,
noted,
choice,
champion,
prime,
select,
wonderful,
excellent,
brilliant,
rare,
cracking (British, informal),
outstanding,
valuable,
superb,
distinguished,
superior,
sterling,
worthy,
first-class,
notable,
sovereign,
dope (slang),
world-class,
exquisite,
exemplary,
first-rate,
superlative,
commendable,
top-notch (informal),
brill (informal),
laudable,
meritorious,
estimable,
tiptop,
A1 or A-one (informal),
bitchin' (US, slang),
chillin' (US, slang),
booshit (Australian, slang),
exo (Australian, slang),
sik (Australian, slang),
ka pai (New Zealand),
rad (informal),
phat (slang),
schmick (Australian, informal),
beaut (informal),
barrie (Scottish, slang),
belting (British, slang),
pearler (Australian, slang)
in the sense of august
Definition
dignified and imposing
the august surroundings of the Liberal Club
Synonyms
noble,
great,
kingly,
grand,
excellent,
imposing,
impressive,
superb,
distinguished,
magnificent,
glorious,
splendid,
elevated,
eminent,
majestic,
dignified,
regal,
stately,
high-ranking,
monumental,
solemn,
lofty,
exalted
in the sense of awesome
Definition
inspiring or displaying awe
the awesome responsibility of sending troops into combat