big deal
586
2.1
- noun
- /bɪɡ diːl/
:
asunto importante
- Graduating from university is a big deal that many students celebrate with their families.
- make a big deal
- a very big deal
So sex is like a big deal now with women.
- So sex is like a big deal now with women.
- That's a pretty big deal within the LDS framework.
- Now, anytime something's a big deal, business people come in.
- Like it's not a big deal as far as that goes.
- Well, that's a big deal to move from skeptic to trader.
- John Mandel that became a big deal, sold a lot of copies.
- That is going to be a big deal in very little time.
- Not that big a deal in Texas, Big deal in Pennsylvania.
- Some folks make a really, really big deal out of their momentous birthdays.
- And you don't realize that that's a big deal until you stop doing it.
- Perfectly safe, perfectly predictable, no big deal, you got this now.
- But the phrase it's not a big deal helps a man to relax.
- But for now, here, it's a big deal and you'll see why.
Examples
-
Why are you acting like this isn't a big deal?
-
Virginity was a big deal back then, and I wore mine like a badge.
Fiction book (1994) -
Listen, a lot of people are making a very big deal about this.
-
I think this is a big deal now.
-
Well, yes, it's a big deal.
-
Because it's a big deal.
-
For some students, it's no big deal to bring pocket money on a field trip to a museum.
Academic text (2006) -
You had an instinct not to make a big deal out of it, right?
Fiction book (1993) -
I don't really see why it's such a big deal.
-
"I didn't think it would be such a big deal," he says.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
38
2.0
An important occasion when people come together, like a wedding or concert
35
6.8
A very important event, thing, or person that matters a lot
Antonyms
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'big' clearly signals importance and 'deal' can be understood as a matter/thing, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a general sense of importance and likely guess 'an important person' from context. However, 'deal' does not literally mean 'person' and the phrase also has idiomatic/pragmatic uses (e.g. sarcastic 'Big deal!'), so the exact referential and attitudinal meanings are not fully predictable.
Etymology
Big deal comes from business language. A deal is a sale or agreement and a big one really matters, so the phrase came to mean 'a very important thing'.