giant
gb/d͡ʒˈaɪənt/ us/d͡ʒˈaɪənt/
A2
English
~ 4200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Very large person or thing
A person, animal, or thing that is much bigger or more important than normal.
Usage pattern:
a giant [person/animal/object/company]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'giant' meaning very tall person with 'giant' meaning very important company or figure; context decides which meaning is intended.
Synonyms
colossus (More formal or literary; often used for great importance or power.)
|
behemoth (Emphasizes massive size, often for companies or machines.)
Antonyms
dwarf (Something very small in size compared to others.)
Collocations
business giant
|tech giant
|media giant
|gentle giant
|giant corporation
Themes
daily life
|business
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The tech giant announced a new smartphone model.
- He was a giant in the world of jazz music.
- A gentle giant, the dog was loved by all the children.
- The company grew from a small shop into a retail giant.
- Mount Everest is a giant among mountains.
Learner examples
- My uncle works for a tech giant.
- That man is a giant in sports.
- The dog looks scary but is a gentle giant.
- Apple is a giant company.
- This tree is a giant in the park.
adjective
A2
property
2
Very large in size
Much bigger than normal.
Usage pattern:
a giant [object/structure/problem]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'giant' when 'big' would be more natural in everyday conversation; 'giant' often adds emphasis or surprise.
Synonyms
enormous (Very large in general; interchangeable in most contexts.)
|
massive (Very large and heavy; can suggest solidness.)
Antonyms
tiny (Extremely small in size.)
Collocations
giant leap
|giant step
|giant balloon
|giant wave
Themes
daily life
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We saw a giant pumpkin at the fair.
- She took a giant step forward.
- The storm brought a giant wave crashing onto the shore.
- They built a giant shopping mall near the highway.
Learner examples
- That is a giant cake.
- I saw a giant spider in the bathroom.
- We have a giant TV at home.
- The city built a giant bridge.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
3
Very large star type
A very big and bright star in space that is not dense.
Synonyms
supergiant (An even larger and more luminous type of star.)
Antonyms
dwarf star (A much smaller and less luminous star.)
Collocations
red giant
|blue giant
Themes
science
|astronomy
|space
Examples
- The Sun will become a red giant in about 5 billion years.
- Betelgeuse is a well-known red giant in the constellation Orion.
- Blue giants are hotter than red giants.
Learner examples
- The Sun will be a red giant in the future.
- A red giant is bigger than our Sun now.
- Betelgeuse is a red giant star.
Grammar
Dictionary form
giant
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈaɪənt/
US/d͡ʒˈaɪənt/
Syllables & stress
gi - ant (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (gi)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: giant
Noun
- Base: giant
- Plural: giants
Word family
Expressions
giant leap
1/d͡ʒˈaɪənt lˈip/
fixed phrase
Major advance or improvement
A very big and important step forward.
Examples
- Landing on the moon was a giant leap for mankind.
- This new technology is a giant leap in medicine.
sleeping giant
1/slˈipɪŋ d͡ʒˈaɪənt/
idiom
Inactive but powerful force
Something that is not active now but could be very powerful if it starts to act.
Examples
- China was once called a sleeping giant by Napoleon.
- The new player is a sleeping giant who could dominate the league.
stand on the shoulders of giants
1/stˈænd ˈɔn ðə ʃˈoʊldɚz əv d͡ʒˈaɪənts/
idiom
literary
Build on earlier great work
To do something better or new because of the work done by great people before you.
Examples
- Modern science stands on the shoulders of giants.
- He credited his success to standing on the shoulders of giants.
gentle giant
1/d͡ʒˈɛntəl d͡ʒˈaɪənt/
idiom
A big but kind person
A very big person who is kind and friendly.
Examples
- Although he looks scary, he's really a gentle giant.
- Despite his size, Mark is a gentle giant who loves animals.
- The actor is known as a gentle giant off-screen.
- The wrestler was known as a gentle giant outside the ring.