Great Idioms (With Meaning and Examples)

Welcome to our colorful world of idioms! Idioms are phrases that don’t mean what the words say but have a totally different meaning everyone agrees on. Today, we’re exploring idioms that include the word “great” or have a theme of “greatness”. These are fun and can help you sound like a native speaker!

Great Idioms

Here are 20 English idioms with great.

1. Great minds think alike

Meaning: Smart people often have the same ideas
Example: When we both reached for the last cookie, I said, “Great minds think alike.”

2. To feel great

Meaning: To feel very good or well
Example: After the nap, I felt great and ready to go.

3. To have a great time

Meaning: To enjoy yourself a lot
Example: We had a great time at the circus.

4. To do someone a great service

Meaning: To help someone a lot
Example: She did me a great service by tutoring me.

5. The greater good

Meaning: A benefit for the majority
Example: They donated anonymously for the greater good.

6. A great deal of

Meaning: A lot of something
Example: She has a great deal of respect for you.

7. As great as all outdoors

Meaning: Very good or large
Example: His new car is as great as all outdoors.

8. To go to great lengths

Meaning: To try very hard
Example: He went to great lengths to find the perfect gift.

9. The great unknown

Meaning: Something unknown and mysterious
Example: They ventured into the great unknown.

10. Great Scott!

Meaning: An exclamation of surprise
Example: Great Scott! That was a close call!

11. To make great strides

Meaning: To improve significantly
Example: She has made great strides in math.

12. With great power comes great responsibility

Meaning: The more power you have, the more responsibility you have
Example: As captain, with great power comes great responsibility.

13. That’s great

Meaning: Expression of approval
Example: You finished your homework? That’s great!

14. To be a great one for something

Meaning: To really enjoy or frequently do something
Example: He’s a great one for telling jokes.

15. To think you’re so great

Meaning: To have a high opinion of yourself
Example: He thinks he’s so great since he won the award.

16. A great many

Meaning: A large number
Example: A great many people attended the concert.

17. No great shakes

Meaning: Not very good or significant
Example: His singing is no great shakes.

18. To put on great airs

Meaning: To act more important than you are
Example: She puts on great airs at parties.

19. A great catch

Meaning: A very desirable thing or person
Example: He’s a great catch for any team.

20. To turn up great guns

Meaning: To arrive energetically or in force
Example: They turned up great guns at the rally.

Great Idioms