big leaguer
1
5.6
- noun
- /bɪɡ ˈliːɡər/
- US
:
jugador de grandes ligas
- She was thrilled when she received an invitation to try out for a slot on a big leaguer team.
- former big leaguer
- son of a big leaguer
- current big leaguers
Examples
-
Izturis, 32, hit just .256/.320/.315 in 319 plate appearances for the Angels this year, his worst full season as a big leaguer.
Blog text (23) -
As a young athlete, he always dreamed of becoming a big leaguer in Major League Baseball.
-
Every summer, the little league offers training sessions with coaches who are former big leaguers.
Synonyms
72
1.4
A person who plays baseball for a team or as a job
54
3.0
A person who plays baseball, often as a professional
24
5.3
A person who is a member of a sports team or club
7
3.4
A baseball player who plays for a top professional team
Antonyms
How Elite
13
2.0
- US
1
5.6
16
3.5
- US
5
4.8
- US
1
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'big' + 'leaguer' literally point to a member of a 'big' or important league, which can cue a high/status reading (someone at a top level). However, 'leaguer' is relatively rare and the metaphorical extension from sports to general professional prominence is idiomatic and not fully predictable for a B1 learner, so the relation is only partly transparent.
Etymology
Big leaguer comes from baseball: the 'big leagues' were the top teams with large stadiums and big crowds, so a big leaguer was literally a player in those top teams. That's why it means 'a player who is a member of a major-league baseball team'.