largish
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /lˈɑːdʒɪʃ/
US
- /lˈɑːrdʒɪʃ/
Description
- somewhat big
- on the bigger side
- fairly big
- quite roomy
- rather big
"Largish" is not exactly large, but it is clearly bigger than average. It suggests something is on the bigger side without seeming huge. Think of a "largish" dog, not a Great Dane, but maybe a Labrador or a Golden Retriever. It is a useful word when you do not want to be too exact or when the exact size is not the main point. You might describe a crowd as "largish" if it is bigger than usual but not really enormous. It often carries a slight sense of vagueness or understatement, like saying "it was a largish problem" instead of saying it was a complete disaster.
"Largish" is an informal adjective meaning moderately large or fairly big. It works as a softening word, a way to show that something is larger than average without sounding too dramatic or too exact. Unlike words like "huge," "massive," or even plain "large," "largish" has a casual, slightly imprecise feel.
You would likely use it in everyday conversation when exact dimensions are not important to the story. For example, you might describe a house as "a largish cottage," meaning it is bigger than a typical cottage but certainly not a mansion. Or perhaps you are packing for a trip and say you need a "largish suitcase," meaning one that is bigger than your carry-on but not the huge case you would take for a very long trip.
The strength of "largish" lies in its flexibility. It lets a speaker avoid committing to a specific size, leaving some room for interpretation. A cook might ask for "a largish onion," leaving the exact weight open. A teacher might describe a student's handwriting as "largish" if it is easy to read but takes up more space on the page than average. While it is not usually found in formal scientific writing, "largish" is a practical everyday word that adds nuance to a description, suggesting something noticeably big but still within ordinary limits.
Examples
- 1
Cooking
We need a largish pan for all these vegetables.
- 2
Crowd size
A largish crowd had gathered outside the station.
- 3
Repair costs
They spent a largish sum on repairs.
- 4
Project scope
It's a largish project, so we should give ourselves a few weeks.
- 5
Clothing fit
The jacket is on the largish side, but it still looks fine.
Phrase
on the largish side
a little bigger than ideal or expected
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- largishadjective