big deal
37
3.8
- noun
- /bɪɡ diːl/
- Informal
:
pez gordo
- Here in the U.S., she was a big deal, but in Paris, who'd care?
So Scott, a big deal for for Andreessen Horowitz.
- So Scott, a big deal for for Andreessen Horowitz.
- Because this guy is a big deal in his world.
- And so in modern South America, she's a big deal.
- We've had a few good giggles of our own, and you're a big deal.
- He was independently wealthy as a lawyer and he was a big deal in New York.
- When you are a a big deal lawyer, you will be embarrassed by me.
Examples
-
Because this guy is a big deal in his world.
-
I don't know much, but I know that Deborah is a big deal.
Blog text (30) -
I was kind of a big deal.
-
Yeah, she is a big deal.
-
And I think you are a big deal, Joe, and wish you were on Red Eye more often.
Blog text (27) -
Apple is a big deal, just like your favorite music act or entertainment interests.
Blog text (24) -
He's kind of a big deal around here.
-
Hey, you go you, you're a professor at Stanford, which is a big deal in that world.
-
And that's when we met you, Kenny, you know, well, Kim Kim went from small investor to big deal investor with Kenny.
-
In Hollywood, she is considered a big deal because of her numerous awards.
Synonyms
126
4.0
A very important and influential person in a field
91
3.9
A person who is important and powerful in a job or field
50
1.8
A person whose actions or words change what happens for many people
43
3.5
A famous and important person or group in one area
35
6.8
A very important event, thing, or person that matters a lot
29
3.8
A person or company that has a lot of power in a field
22
6.9
An important person with power in a company or group
16
2.5
A person with great power or status who gets special treatment
15
3.2
A person whose actions or ideas strongly affect other people's choices
14
3.6
An important person in a group or organization who has power
12
4.9
A person who has a lot of power and influence in a field
9
5.1
An important person with power in a company or field
9
6.3
A person who is in charge of a company or group
8
5.3
A person who is very important in a group or company
4
9.5
A very important person in a group or organization, often the most powerful
4
7.5
A very large, strong, or important person like a leader
2
6.7
A person who is very important and powerful in a group
1
8.1
An important person who makes key decisions for a group
1
8.6
An important person with power in a group or area
1
5.6
An important person who has a lot of power in a group
1
8.2
A very large and powerful company or group that dominates its field
A joking name for a person who has great power in a group
A person or thing that is very famous and successful, often in entertainment
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
One popular story says the phrase big deal imagines someone who makes large business deals. People who did that were seen as important, so calling someone a big deal means 'an important person'.