Worthy of praise; admirable or commendable (used to praise someone's actions).
子どもが自分で宿題を全部やった。偉いね。
The child did all his homework by himself. Good job.
ボランティア活動を続けている君は本当に偉いと思う。
I think you're really admirable for continuing volunteer work.
病気のときも仕事を続けるなんて、偉い人だ。
To keep working even when ill — he is an admirable person.
Distinguished; high-ranking or important (used to refer to someone of status or prominence).
あの人は会社で偉い地位にいる。
That person holds a high position in the company.
学会の偉い人が講演に来た。
An eminent figure from the academic society came to give a lecture.
政府の偉い人たちが会議で議論した。
High-ranking government officials discussed matters at the meeting.
Serious or awful (used to indicate that something has become a big or bad problem).
昨日の事故で偉いことになった。
Yesterday's accident turned into a serious situation.
台風のせいで偉い被害が出た地域もある。
There are areas that suffered severe damage because of the typhoon.
試験に落ちて偉い目に遭った。
I had a terrible time after failing the exam.
Tiring or tough (colloquial usage to describe something that is hard or exhausting).
この仕事は偉くきついから、休みが必要だ。
This job is really tough, so I need a break.
長時間の移動で偉く疲れた。
I got extremely tired after the long trip.
山登りは偉く大変だったけれど、景色は素晴らしかった。
Climbing the mountain was very hard, but the view was wonderful.
An adverb (chiefly Kansai dialect) meaning 'very' or 'extremely'.
今日は偉い暑いなあ（関西弁）。
It's really hot today (Kansai dialect).
あの人は偉い親切やった（関西弁）。
That person was extremely kind (Kansai dialect).
このラーメンは偉い美味しいで（関西弁）。
This ramen is really delicious (Kansai dialect).