Meanings
big bang1
plural big bangs
- A large implementation of a system rather than phased or gradual delivery.
They're planning for an upcoming release that promises to be a big bang.
- Alternative letter-case form of Big Bang.
Big Bang2
- astronomyThe cosmic event that marks the beginning of time and the rapid expansion of space for the visible universe. The evolution of the universe since that beginning point is described by the Big Bang Theory.
On scientific grounds this big bang assumption is much less the palatable of the two.
1955, Fred Hoyle, chapter 6, in The nature of the universe, page 113 - UKhistoricalbusinessThe sudden deregulation of financial markets effected by prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986.
Origin
Big Bang · proper noun
Coined by English astronomer Fred Hoyle on the BBC Third Programme, broadcast at 18:30 GMT on 28 March 1949. It is a popular but misinformed belief that this was intended as a derogatory term, Hoyle being a proponent of the opposing steady state theory, but Hoyle himself has rejected that notion.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans oerknal
- oerknalcosmic event
Arabic اَلِٱنْفِجَار الْعَظِيم
- اَلِٱنْفِجَار الْعَظِيم (al-infijār al-ʕaẓīm)cosmic event
Bulgarian Голя́м взрив
- Голя́м взрив (Goljám vzriv)cosmic event
Catalan big-bang
- big-bangcosmic event
Chinese Cantonese 大爆炸
- 大爆炸 (daai⁶ baau³ zaa³)explosion creating a universe
Chinese Mandarin 大爆炸, 大霹靂 /大霹雳
- 大爆炸 (dàbàozhà)explosion creating a universe
- 大霹靂 /大霹雳 (dàpīlì)explosion creating a universe
- 大爆炸 (Dàbàozhà)cosmic event
- 大霹靂 /大霹雳 (Dàpīlì)cosmic event
Czech velký třesk, velký třesk
- velký třeskexplosion creating a universe
- velký třeskcosmic event
Danish Big Bang
- Big Bangcosmic event
Dutch oerknal, oerknal
- oerknalexplosion creating a universe
- oerknalcosmic event
Esperanto praeksplodo
- praeksplodocosmic event
Estonian Suur Pauk
- Suur Paukcosmic event
Finnish alkuräjähdys, alkuräjähdys
- alkuräjähdysexplosion creating a universe
- alkuräjähdyscosmic event
French Bigbang
- Bigbangcosmic event
German Urknall
- Urknallcosmic event
Greek Μεγάλη Έκρηξη, Μεγάλη Έκρηξη
- Μεγάλη Έκρηξη (Megáli Ékrixi)explosion creating a universe
- Μεγάλη Έκρηξη (Megáli Ékrixi)cosmic event
Hindi महाविस्फोट, महाविस्फोट
- महाविस्फोट (mahāvisphoṭ)explosion creating a universe
- महाविस्फोट (mahāvisphoṭ)cosmic event
Hungarian ősrobbanás
- ősrobbanáscosmic event
Icelandic Stóri hvellur
- Stóri hvellurcosmic event
Indonesian Ledakan Dahsyat
- Ledakan Dahsyatcosmic event
Irish ollphléasc, ollphléasc
- ollphléascexplosion creating a universe
- ollphléasccosmic event
Italian Big Bang
- Big Bangcosmic event
Japanese ビッグバン
- ビッグバン (Bigguban)cosmic event
Korean 빅뱅, 대폭발
- 빅뱅 (Bikbaeng)cosmic event
- 대폭발 (Daepokbal)cosmic event
Malay Letupan Besar
- Letupan Besarcosmic event
Persian مهبانگ
- مهبانگ (mahbâng)cosmic event
Polish wielki wybuch, Wielki Wybuch
- wielki wybuchexplosion creating a universe
- Wielki Wybuchcosmic event
Portuguese big bang, Big Bang
- big bangexplosion creating a universe
- Big Bangcosmic event
Romanian Big Bang, Marea Explozie
- Big Bangcosmic event
- Marea Exploziecosmic event
Russian Большо́й взрыв, Большо́й взрыв
- Большо́й взрыв (Bolʹšój vzryv)explosion creating a universe
- Большо́й взрыв (Bolʹšój vzryv)cosmic event
- Биг Бэ́нг (Big Bɛ́ng)cosmic event
Slovak Veľký tresk
- Veľký treskcosmic event
Spanish big bang, Big Bang
- big bangexplosion creating a universe
- Big Bangcosmic event
Swedish big bang, stora smällen
- big bangexplosion creating a universe
- stora smällenexplosion creating a universe
- stora smällencosmic event
- Big Bangcosmic event
Thai บิกแบง
- บิกแบง (bík-bɛɛng)cosmic event
Turkish büyük patlama, Büyük Patlama
- büyük patlamaexplosion creating a universe
- Büyük Patlamacosmic event
Ukrainian Вели́кий ви́бух
- Вели́кий ви́бух (Velýkyj výbux)cosmic event
Vietnamese Vụ Nổ Lớn
- Vụ Nổ Lớncosmic event
Welsh y Glec Fawr
- y Glec Fawrcosmic event
Cite this entry
big bang. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/big%20bang
“big bang.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/big%20bang. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “big bang,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/big%20bang.
Source: big bang on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.