Big vs. Large

Have you ever thought about the differences between these two adjectives? Well, I'm gonna tell you more about them.

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both of these words are used to describe the size or amount of something. However, 'large' is more formal and we mainly use it to refer to amounts whereas, 'big' is mostly used to indicate the size of an object and the the importance of an issue.

Differences

Both of these words can be used to refer to an object's size. However, 'large' is more formal, and 'big' is more common in everyday conversations. Look at the following examples:

The ship looked bigger in the picture.

Look at that large tree in the middle of the forest.

When we want to talk about the size of clothing, we use 'large', not 'big':

I want a large size of this shirt.

Extra large t-shirts are my favorite clothes.

When we want to refer to an important, issue or problem we must use 'big', not 'large':

She tends to make a big deal out of everything.

Our biggest problem now is that we have nowhere to go to, Martha.

When we want to talk about the amount of something, we must use 'large', not 'big':

If we succeed in the project, we will receive a large amount of money.

If I had a large amount of money, I'd never live with you.

Similarities

Both of these can refer to the size of physical objects. Check out the following examples:

My ex girlfriend had large brown eyes.

I wish I was never born in such a big city.

Are They Interchangeable?

When we are talking about some physical objects, it is possible to use these interchangeably. However, whenever we are referring to some other things like the importance of issues, clothes, etc. they cannot be used interchangeably. Below, we have two examples that are pointing out the size of a physical object so they can be used interchangeably:

✓ Just take a look Dracula's large castle.

✓ Just take a look Dracula's big castle.

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