Skip to main content
big businessman

big businessman

1 3.4
A very rich and powerful person who owns or runs large companies
  • noun
  • /bɪɡ ˈbɪznəsmən/
translation icon : gran empresario
  • A client of mine, very big businessman… export-import…

Examples

  • I understand you're a pretty big businessman.

  • He was a big businessman or something; trained to see through people.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Boston's big businessmen felt threatened.

    Blog text (26)
  • You could've told Chico or Hank you were playing the big businessman.

  • "True, but our industrious work and clever arrangements will create hundreds of new jobs and provide employment, opportunities, and money for many people, Ruby." "You're beginning to sound like a big businessman, all right," I said, and he laughed.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Many big businessmen are investing in renewable energy to enhance their profits.

  • The city was influenced by several big businessmen who contributed to local charities.

  • As a big businessman, he frequently attends conferences to network with other influential leaders.

Synonyms

billionaire
vsbig businessman
188 3.4

A person who has at least one billion dollars

may be less specific about exact wealth thresholds and influence
rich man
vsbig businessman
74 1.0

A man who has a lot of money and owns many things

adds prominent public influence in commercial circles beyond wealth alone
mogul
vsbig businessman
49 6.6

A rich and powerful person in business

is less extreme in industry-wide power or wealth
big name
vsbig businessman
43 3.5

A famous and important person or group in one area

is more focused on wealth and business standing than just fame
tycoon
vsbig businessman
38 5.5

A very rich and powerful person who owns or controls big companies

is comparable but may not reach that same prominence
big deal
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
37 3.8

An important person who is treated as successful or powerful

stresses actual business wealth or influence beyond general importance
biggie
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
35 6.8

A very important event, thing, or person that matters a lot

is a specific business-focused description, not just an informal label
business leader
vsbig businessman
33 3.0

A person who is rich and powerful in business

focuses more on personal wealth or influence than formal leadership role
baron
vsbig businessman
28 6.1

A very rich and powerful person who controls a large business or industry

is like this but not necessarily a dominant industry figure
wealthy person
vsbig businessman
26 1.8

A person who has a lot of money and property

also includes notable public influence in business beyond mere wealth
bigwig
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
22 6.9

An important person with power in a company or group

leans more toward business wealth or wide industry influence specifically
magnate
vsbig businessman
22 7.9

A very rich and powerful person who owns or runs large businesses

is similar but may hold less industry-wide dominance
big fish
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
14 3.6

An important person in a group or organization who has power

has broader business wealth or influence beyond a single group
big gun
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
9 5.1

An important person with power in a company or field

tends to refer more to business wealth and wider influence
big cheese
vsbig businessman
  • Slang
8 5.3

A person who is very important in a group or company

implies greater business wealth or industry-level power rather than local status
rich person
vsbig businessman
6 1.0

A person who has a lot of money and many valuable things

stresses public influence in business as well as personal wealth
successful entrepreneur
vsbig businessman
5 4.1

A person who starts and runs a business that makes a lot of money or becomes well known

centres more on personal wealth or broad influence than startup success
big kahuna
vsbig businessman
  • Slang
4 9.5

A very important person in a group or organization, often the most powerful

is more tied to business wealth and formal influence than title alone
big dog
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
2 6.7

A person who is very important and powerful in a group

places stronger emphasis on wealth and commercial influence specifically
big daddy
vsbig businessman
  • Slang
1 8.1

An important person who makes key decisions for a group

is about wealth and business influence across a wider sphere
multi-billionaire
vsbig businessman
1 4.2

A person who has many billions of dollars

adds a business influence aspect rather than only huge wealth
big enchilada
vsbig businessman
  • Informal
1 8.6

An important person with power in a group or area

focuses more on financial success and industry standing rather than idiomatic status
multibillionaire
vsbig businessman
5.1

Having several billion dollars

emphasizes business influence as well as wealth, not only billions
gazillionaire
vsbig businessman
  • Slang
7.6

Having a huge amount of money

is a serious description of real wealth or influence rather than hyperbole

Antonyms

11 2.8

A person who owns or runs a small company with fewer than 100 employees

How Influential

tycoon
38 5.5
mogul
49 6.6
big businessman
1 3.4
businessman
332 2.0
small businessman
  • Canadian
11 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

big + businessman

The meaning 'a businessman who is very wealthy or influential' is directly and compositionally derived from combining the adjective 'big' (understood here as important/influential) with 'businessman' following a standard ADJ+NOUN pattern. The metaphorical extension of 'big' from size to importance is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should readily infer this sense.

Etymology

Big businessman comes from a simple image: a man who owns very large companies — big shows the size or importance of his business and businessman is the owner. So it means 'very wealthy or influential'.