Great vs It was wonderful having her home

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Great

Top 1,000 (very common)A1adjective

It was wonderful having her home

Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Great
 GreatIt was wonderful having her home
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ɡreɪt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɡreɪt/"]/🇬🇧 //ˈwʌndəfəl hævɪŋ hɜːr hoʊm//🇺🇸 //ˈwʌndərfəl ˈhævɪŋ hɜr hoʊm//
Meaningvery good or impressiveIt was great to have her back home.
ExampleThis pizza is great and very tasty!It was wonderful having her home after so many months of being apart.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR levelA1-
Part of speechadjective
Collocationsbe, feel, look, just, really, absolutely, be, become, very, great big, no great, be, become, very, great big, no great, be, become, very, great big, no great, be, really, truly, very, be, feel, look, just, really, absolutely, be, become, very, great big, no great, be, become, very, great big, no greatwonderful time, wonderful day, wonderful experience
Antonymsterrible, poor, bad-
Common mistakesUsing 'great' in a sarcastic way without context., Confusing 'great' with 'grate' when writing., Overusing 'great' instead of finding more specific adjectives.Confusing 'wonderful' with 'wonder' - don't use them interchangeably., Using 'having' instead of 'to have' - be careful with verb forms., Omitting 'home' - it changes the meaning of the sentence.
Usage notesUse 'great' to describe something positive or impressive. It's suitable in both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using it in a sarcastic tone, as it can change the meaning.Use in contexts expressing pleasure about someone's return. Appropriate in casual and formal settings; avoid if discussing negative experiences.

See it in real clips

Great
It was wonderful having her home

Frequently asked questions: Great vs It was wonderful having her home

What's the difference between Great and It was wonderful having her home?

Great: very good or impressive It was wonderful having her home: It was great to have her back home.

Which is more common: Great and It was wonderful having her home?

Great is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Great: This pizza is great and very tasty! It was wonderful having her home: It was wonderful having her home after so many months of being apart.

Can I use Great and It was wonderful having her home interchangeably?

Not always. Great and It was wonderful having her home are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

Related comparisons