50 Common Collocations: big, great, large, deep, strong, and heavy

Collocations are words that go together naturally in English.

In English, a collocation is two or more words that go together naturally. Learning collocations is essential for making your English sound fluent and natural!

Today we’re going to learn very quickly 50 common English collocations with the words big, great, large, deep, strong, and heavy.

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The words big, great, large, deep, strong, and heavy all seem rather similar, but they are used in DIFFERENT combinations of words. Let’s start with the word BIG.

English collocations with the word BIG

The word big is often used in collocations with a happening or event, for example:

• a big accomplishment
• a big decision
• a big disappointment
• a big failure
• a big improvement
• a big mistake
• a big surprise

(Big is also used when talking about size – click here to learn the difference between big, large, tall, and long in English.)

English collocations with the word GREAT

The word great is often used in collocations with feelings or qualities.

Great + feelings

• great admiration
• great anger
• great enjoyment
• great excitement
• great fun
• great happiness
• great joy

Great + qualities

• in great detail
• great power
• great pride
• great sensitivity
• great skill
• great strength
• great understanding
• great wisdom
• great wealth

English collocations with the word LARGE

The word large is often used in collocations involving numbers and measurements.

• a large amount
• a large collection
• a large number (of)
• a large population
• a large proportion
• a large quantity
• a large scale

English collocations with the word STRONG

The word strong is often used in collocations with facts and opinions:

Strong + facts/opinions

• strong argument
• strong emphasis
• strong evidence
• a strong contrast
• a strong commitment
• strong criticism
• strong denial
• a strong feeling
• a strong opinion (about something)
• strong resistance

Strong + senses

• a strong smell
• a strong taste

English collocations with the word DEEP

The word deep is used for some strong feelings:

• deep depression
• deep devotion

It is also used in these expressions:

• in deep thought
• in deep trouble
• in a deep sleep (when the person won’t wake up easily)

English collocations with the word HEAVY

Heavy is used for some weather conditions…

• heavy rain
• heavy snow
• heavy fog

The word heavy is also used for people with bad habits:

• a heavy drinker
• a heavy smoker
• a heavy drug user

There’s also the expression “a heavy sleeper” – that’s not someone who sleeps a lot; instead, it’s a person who doesn’t wake up easily when sleeping.

The word heavy is also used in collocations with two unpleasant things: TRAFFIC and TAXES!

• heavy traffic
• heavy taxes

WOW, those were a LOT of collocations – are you ready to see how well you learned them? Take a quiz:

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