A giant is something enormously larger than normal, whether it's a creature, object, or idea.

In myths and fairy tales, giants are massive humanlike beings who tower over ordinary people. Think of the giant at the top of Jack's beanstalk, so tall that Jack seemed like an ant to him. These story giants could hold a person in one hand or step over a house. Real animals can be giants too: a giant squid might stretch longer than a school bus, and giant pandas earned their name by being much larger than other bears.

But giant works beyond size. A giant corporation dominates its industry. A giant step forward means huge progress. When people call a breakthrough discovery a giant leap, they mean it changes everything, like when humans first walked on the moon.

You can use giant as an adjective (a giant pumpkin) or as a noun (a giant of literature for an author whose work towers above others). Giants in science or sports aren't necessarily tall people; they're individuals whose achievements make everyone else look small by comparison.

The word captures that feeling of encountering something so much bigger than expected that it changes your perspective, like standing next to a giant redwood tree and realizing how small you are.