gadol means an eminent, highly respected rabbi, esp. of the past. It carries an Arena rating of 1444, earned across 75 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, gadol ranks #2,535 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #6,961 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #7,155 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #7,821 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
Why “gadol” is a great word
GADOL — [Noun] An eminent and highly respected rabbi, a preeminent sage from a prior generation. Borrowed from Hebrew גָּדוֹל (gadol, "big, great"), from the root גדל (g-d-l), meaning to grow or become great. Unlike Kohen Gadol (which denotes the singular High Priest of the Temple) or rav (a common term for any rabbi), a gadol is a generational titan, a lodestar of rabbinic authority. He is the weight of a thousand studied pages in a quiet library, the definitive silence that settles a clamorous debate, and the worn spine of a volume that has passed through his hands—a greatness grown not from appointment, but from the slow gravity of a life devoted to text.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew גָּדוֹל (“big, great”).
noun
- An eminent, highly respected rabbi, esp. of the past.e.g.“There were many gedolim who said that it is infinitely preferable that the mosque be there than not, when there is no Beis Hamikdash.” — 2001 January 11, David Goldman, “JEWS FORBIDDEN ON TEMPLE MOUNT”, in soc.culture.jewish (Usenet):
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- admor 67% match — A Hasidic rebbe, the leader of a Hasidic court. vs gadol →
- tzaddik 61% match — A very righteous person, especially a Hassidic spiritual leader. vs gadol →
- rav 60% match — a rabbi vs gadol →
- hakham 59% match — A wise man or scholar. vs gadol →
- rabbi 58% match — A Jewish scholar or teacher of halacha (Jewish law), capable of making halachic decisions. vs gadol →
- lamdan 58% match — One who is learned in Jewish law. vs gadol →
- nagid 57% match — A Hebrew prince or leader, especially the religious leader in Sephardic communities of the Middle Ages. vs gadol →
- rabbidom 57% match — The role or status of rabbi. vs gadol →