giant

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #1982

Meanings

1

adj
Extremely large.

They ordered a giant pizza to share among ten people.
2

noun
An imaginary or very large and tall person.

In the fairy tale, a giant lived at the top of the beanstalk.
3

noun
A very large and powerful company or organization.

The tech giant announced thousands of new jobs.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely large. colossal enormous gigantic immense vast

More behemoth brobdingnagian bulk colossusettingoliathhulk hunk jumbo leviathan mammoth mastodon

Opposites

dwarf elf midget

Word family

Forms giants

Derived forms giant-killergiant-killinggiantdomgiantesquegianthoodgiantingiantishgiantizegiantkillergiantkindgiantlikegiantling

Related forms big

Appears in

Phrases (11)

See all

gas giant
a very large planet composed mainly of gaseous material

Noun + noun
giant bamboo
a very large tropical bamboo with thick, hollow woody stems

Adjective + noun
giant clam
a very large clam found on tropical Pacific coral reefs

Adjective + noun
giant petrel
a large brownish petrel found in the Antarctic region

Adjective + noun
giant reed
a tall perennial grass with jointed stems and large feathery flower clusters

Adjective + noun
giant salamander
a very large salamander found in parts of Asia

Adjective + noun

Idioms (1)

See all

sleeping giant
a large, powerful player that has not yet fully engaged in a market

Etymology

From Middle English geaunt, geant, from Old French geant, gaiant (Modern French géant) from Vulgar Latin *gagās, gagant-, from Latin gigās, gigant-, from Ancient Greek γίγας (gígas, “giant”) Cognate to giga- (“1,000,000,000”). Displaced native Old English ent, eoten, and þyrs. Compare Modern English ent (“giant tree-man”), ettin ("a giant"), and thurse ("a giant").

geaunt Middle English geant Old French *gagās la-vul gigās Latin γίγας Ancient Greek

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Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# giant

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈd͡ʒaɪ.ənt/
**Frequency rank:** 1982

## Meanings
1. Extremely large.
2. An imaginary or very large and tall person.
3. A very large and powerful company or organization.

## Examples
- They ordered a giant pizza to share among ten people.
- In the fairy tale, a giant lived at the top of the beanstalk.
- The tech giant announced thousands of new jobs.

## Synonyms
- behemoth
- brobdingnagian
- bulk
- colossus
- ettin
- goliath
- hulk
- hunk
- jumbo
- leviathan
- mammoth
- mastodon

## Antonyms
- dwarf
- elf
- midget

## Derived Forms
- giant-killer
- giant-killing
- giantdom
- giantesque
- gianthood
- giantin
- giantish
- giantize
- giantkiller
- giantkind
- giantlike
- giantling

## Related Forms
- big

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: geaunt
- Root: geant
- Root: *gagās
- Root: gigās
- Root: γίγας

## Etymology
From Middle English geaunt, geant, from Old French geant, gaiant (Modern French géant) from Vulgar Latin *gagās, gagant-, from Latin gigās, gigant-, from Ancient Greek γίγας (gígas, “giant”) Cognate to giga- (“1,000,000,000”). Displaced native Old English ent, eoten, and þyrs. Compare Modern English ent (“giant tree-man”), ettin ("a giant"), and thurse ("a giant").

## AI Etymology
Giant comes from Middle English geaunt, geant, from Old French geant, gaiant (Modern French géant) from Vulgar Latin *gagās, gagant-, from Latin gigās, gigant-, from Ancient Greek γίγας (gígas, “giant”) Cognate to giga- (“1,000,000,000”). Displaced native Old English ent, eoten, and þyrs. Compare Modern English ent (“giant tree-man”), ettin ("a giant"), and thurse ("a giant"). In current use, the main senses are “Extremely large” and “An imaginary or very large and tall person”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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