Hawaiian Word of the Day: May 10th By Leilani Poli`ahu • May 10, 2019 ShareTweetEmail Listen Listening... / 0:31 Nui means big, greatest, grand, important, as in aliʻi nui. Hale nui would be a big house, and mea nui would be an important thing. Used as an adjective, it follows the noun. It can also mean “many or a group.” Tags: HWOTDhawaiianWordShareTweetEmailView the discussion thread.