When not to use huge [duplicate]

What is the difference between huge and big?

For example:

• He made a huge difference to the team. He made a big difference to the team.

Is there a difference in meaning?

Solution 1:

[I'm posting my previous comments as an answer as that seems to have been accepted by OP.]

Huge is bigger than big: huge means very big.

But huge can sometimes be used 'politely' just to mean big.
For example, if you were to read the expression:

He made a huge difference to the team

you might well think he had made a bigger difference to the team than did many of his colleagues.
On the other hand, if someone were to speak those words (e.g. at a farewell presentation), the meaning may well depend on the emphasis of the speaker.
If the speaker says:

He made a huge difference ...

with the emphasis on "huge", he would most likely be emphasising that the person's contribution was indeed bigger than that of others. But if he just says:

He made a huge difference ...

with no extra emphasis on "huge", then he is probably just being 'polite'.