大著|たいちょtaicho[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounvoluminous work; bulky volume; tome
2. noungreat work; masterpiece; magnum opus

• Synonym大作たいさくNeutralA work of grand scale — novels, films, paintings all qualify; 「大著」 is used only for books.
• Synonym名著めいちょNeutralA book widely known and highly rated; it stresses reputation, not physical bulk.
• Related名作めいさくNeutralA famous, excellent work; the emphasis is on renown, and length or bulk doesn't matter.
• Related傑作けっさくNeutralA masterpiece; colloquially it can also mock something absurdly funny, so its range is wider than 「大著」.
• Related絶品ぜっぴんNeutralA superb item, mostly food or crafts; it can praise a book as in 「絶品の一冊」 but says nothing about bulk.
• RelatedマスターピースNeutralThe loanword for masterpiece, common in art talk and product promotion; not tied to books.
• Antonym短編たんぺんNeutralA short work — story, film or poem — the opposite of a long, voluminous one; mostly used of novels and films.
• Antonym小著しょうちょWrittenA slim book, or a humble way to speak of one's own work; a written, formal counterpart to the bulky 「大著」.

Use 「大著」 to praise someone's thick or weighty book. For acclaimed books say 「名著」; for masterpieces in general, 「傑作」 or 「名作」; 「大作」 covers large-scale works in any medium.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. ページ数すうが多おおく、厚あつい本ほんや書物しょもつ。
2. 優すぐれた内容ないようの、重要じゅうようで価値かちのある作品さくひん。