gros

\ɡʁo\

/\ɡʁo\/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“gros” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #315 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#315
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui a beaucoup de circonférence ou de volume.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

gros vs Gs
25% similar
gros vs gus
50% similar
gros vs grue
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for gros
PropertyValue
Headwordgros
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\ɡʁo\
Letters4
Frequency rank#315
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gros” sits in French frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). gros lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for gros is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɡʁo\. Corpus data places it at rank #315 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for gros, with forms such as "ggros", "gors", and "grros". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Gs", "gus", "grue", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is gros, spelled G-R-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui a beaucoup de circonférence ou de volume.
  2. 2
    En parlant d'une personne, qui fait de l'embonpoint.
  3. 3
    Grossi, enflé.
  4. 4
    Se dit, sans songer à la grosseur absolue, pour exprimer la grosseur relative.
  5. 5
    Qui surpasse en étendue, en volume, en valeur, en importance, la plupart des choses de même genre.
  6. 6
    Qui est supérieur en nombre.
  7. 7
    En parlant d'une quantité, qui dépasse ou semble dépasser légèrement la valeur exprimée.
  8. 8
    Intense.
  9. 9
    Qui a de la gravité ; qui a des suites, des conséquences.
  10. 10
    Épais, brut
  11. 11
    Grossier, vulgaire.
  12. 12
    Sans finesse.
  13. 13
    En parlant de personnes, riche, opulente ou qui opère en grand.
  14. 14
    Qui présage un évènement redouté.
  15. 15
    (Généralement au féminin) Désigne les femmes enceintes et parfois les animaux femelles gravides.
  16. 16
    Simple à comprendre.
  17. 17
    Soulevé en vagues fortes, en parlant de la mer.
  18. 18
    Forme d'adresse amicale, variante orthographique de gro, voir aussi gros.

Synonyms

bigénormeépaisgigantesquemaousmastarbâtienveloppébouffiboursouflérenflégênantmal élevé

Antonyms

maigremenumincepetitfindéliédélicatpetit

This word in other languages

fat(English)largo(Español)dick(Deutsch)gordo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggros,gors,grros,grso,rgos

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gros - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ggros1gors2grros1grso2rgos2
Edit distance from "gros"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gros"?
"gros" is spelled G-R-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is \ɡʁo\.
What does "gros" mean?
As an adjective, "gros" means: Qui a beaucoup de circonférence ou de volume.
What words are commonly confused with "gros"?
"gros" is commonly confused with "Gs", "gus", "grue". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gros"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gros" is \ɡʁo\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gros" come from?
"gros" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “gros”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is G-R-O-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɡʁo\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Gs” - see the side-by-side comparison. gros vs Gs
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list