grand canyon: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1formal, informal, geographical
Quick answer
What does “grand canyon” mean?
A specific, vast, and iconic gorge in the U.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A specific, vast, and iconic gorge in the U.S. state of Arizona, carved by the Colorado River.
Used as a metaphorical benchmark for immense scale, depth, or a significant gap (e.g., in opinions, quality, or understanding).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The term is universally understood, but the geographical feature is in the US, making it more culturally immediate for American speakers.
Connotations
For Americans, strong connotations of national heritage, natural wonder, and tourism. For others, it is the archetypal example of a large canyon.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English due to domestic geography and culture.
Grammar
How to Use “grand canyon” in a Sentence
[visit/see/hike] + the Grand CanyonThere is a [Grand Canyon] + between + [two entities]a [Grand Canyon-sized] + gap/differenceVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “grand canyon” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The new policy could grand canyon the existing social divide.
American English
- Their disagreement grand canyoned after the debate.
adjective
British English
- They faced a Grand Canyon-sized deficit in the budget.
American English
- We have a Grand Canyon problem with our communications.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphor for a large disparity, e.g., 'There's a Grand Canyon between our projected and actual revenue.'
Academic
Used in geography, geology, and environmental studies; metaphorically in social sciences to describe divides.
Everyday
Primarily refers to the tourist destination. Used hyperbolically for any large difference.
Technical
Specific reference in earth sciences to its stratigraphy, formation, and ecology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “grand canyon”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “grand canyon”
- Writing 'grand canyon' in lowercase.
- Using 'the' unnecessarily when it's part of a compound name, e.g., 'We visited Grand Canyon' (acceptable but less common than '...the Grand Canyon').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as it is a proper noun referring to a specific place.
Rarely. The lowercase form is not standard. The term is almost exclusively a proper name or a fixed metaphor derived from it.
Forgetting to capitalise both words or overusing the metaphorical sense in inappropriate contexts.
Yes, due to the global fame of the landmark, the metaphorical meaning of a 'huge gap' is widely understood in English.
A specific, vast, and iconic gorge in the U.
Grand canyon is usually formal, informal, geographical in register.
Grand canyon: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɡrænd ˈkænjən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɡrænd ˈkænjən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a Grand Canyon-sized gap”
- “not just a gap, a Grand Canyon”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a GRAND (huge, impressive) wedding cake that has been cut with a CANYON (deep groove)-shaped knife.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM OR DIFFERENCE IS A LARGE PHYSICAL GAP.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'Grand Canyon' used metaphorically?