grand
grand [grand grands] adjective, noun BrE [ɡrænd] NAmE [ɡrænd]
adjective (grand·er, grand·est)
1. impressive and large or important
• It's not a very grand house.
• The wedding was a very grand occasion.
2. Grandonly before noun used in the names of impressive or very large buildings, etc.
•the Grand Canyon
•We stayed at the Grand Hotel.
3. needing a lot of effort, money or time to succeed but intended to achieve impressive results
•a grand design/plan/strategy
• New Yorkers built their city on a grand scale.
4. (of people)behaving in a proud way because they are rich or from a high social class
• They're all Lord or Lady somebody or other, but they're not at all grand.
•She put on her grandest air and waltzed into the living room to join the others.
5. (dialect or informal)very good or enjoyable; excellent
•I had a grand day out at the seaside.
•Thanks. That'll be grand!
•Fred did a grand job of painting the house.
6. Grandused in the titles of people of very high social rank
•the Grand Duchess Elena
see also ↑grandeur
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French grant, grand, from Latin grandis ‘full-grown, big, great’. The original uses were to denote family relationships and as a title (the Grand, translating Old French le Grand); hence the senses ‘of the highest rank’, ‘of great importance’.
Thesaurus:
grand adj.
•The wedding was a very grand occasion.
magnificent • • majestic • • impressive • • imposing • • splendid • • spectacular •
Opp: humble
a/an grand/magnificent/majestic/impressive/imposing/splendid building
a/an grand/magnificent/majestic/imposing castle
a/an grand/magnificent/imposing palace/staircase
Idioms: grand old age ▪ grand old man
Derived Words: ↑grandly ▪ ↑grandness
noun
1. (pl. grand)(informal)$1 000; £1 000
•It'll cost you five grand!
2. = ↑grand piano
see also ↑concert grand
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French grant, grand, from Latin grandis ‘full-grown, big, great’. The original uses were to denote family relationships and as a title (the Grand, translating Old French le Grand); hence the senses ‘of the highest rank’, ‘of great importance’.
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