German word

groß

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁoːs/

Meaning

  • adjectivebig

Example

Dieses Auto ist größer als das andere.

This car is bigger than the other one.

Illustration for groß (big)

More examples

In dieser Stadt steht eine große Kirche.

There is a big church in this city.

Core concept

A person or thing extends beyond its surroundings in height, space, amount, or overall scope.

Common phrases

  • eine große Stadt

    a big city

  • ein großer Platz

    a big square

  • groß werden

    grow bigger

Similar words

riesig: Extremely large and beyond the usual scale.
hoch: Having considerable height or standing high vertically.
breit: Having a broad span from side to side.
weit: Covering a broad distance or area, or lying far away.

Definition in German

Von beträchtlicher Ausdehnung, Menge oder Höhe; als steigerbares Adjektiv in Komparativ und Superlativ verwendbar

Word origin

German groß continues Old High German grōz and Middle High German grôz, an inherited Germanic adjective for substantial size or amount.

Usage tips

  • With people, groß commonly refers to height, while context distinguishes physical size from importance or status.

Other meanings

  • talladjective
  • large-scaleadjective
  • greatadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word