any creature of exceptional size
"The giant whale breached the surface, its massive form towering above the waves."
a person of exceptional importance and reputation
"When the music legend walked into the hall, the entire audience rose to greet the giant who had changed their lives decades ago."
a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
"The giant easily lifted the heavy rock onto his shoulder, showing how powerful he was."
an imaginary figure of superhuman size and strength; appears in folklore and fairy tales
"The children huddled together to tell a story about how the giant swallowed the whole village before spitting them out safely."
a very bright star of large diameter and low density (relative to the Sun)
"After studying astronomy for years, she finally understood why Betelgeuse glowed so intensely as it expanded into a red giant."
A mythical human of very great size.
"After years of watching from home, I finally got to meet a giant during my visit to Oracle Park last night."
A player for the San Francisco Giants.
In plain English: A giant is an extremely large person or creature that towers over everyone else.
"The giant panda is a beloved symbol of wildlife conservation."
Usage: Use "giant" to describe something or someone extremely large in size, not to refer to a baseball player for the San Francisco Giants. When talking about the team, always use the proper noun "Giants" with a capital G.
Very large.
"The giant sequoia tree cast a massive shadow over the entire clearing."
In plain English: Giant means something that is extremely large compared to everything else around it.
"The giant panda is a beloved symbol for conservation efforts."
Usage: Use "giant" as an adjective to describe something that is exceptionally large or imposing in size, often implying a scale far beyond the normal. Avoid using it simply for any object that is big; reserve it for items that feel monumental compared to their surroundings.
The word giant entered Middle English from the Old French geant, which ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek for a "giant." This borrowing replaced the original Old English term ent and is related to the prefix giga- used in numbers like billion.