big wheel
1
5.6
- noun
- /bɪɡ wiːl/
- Informal
:
persona influyente
- You told me he was a big wheel in New York.
Examples
-
Being a big wheel at the university, she had a significant influence on academic policies.
-
Sure, the guy was a big wheel; sure, his time was valuable—but eleven in the morning?
Fiction book (1990) -
Look at that big wheel.
-
Daddy's a big wheel there.
-
'Cause I'm a big wheel at Exo-Grey.
-
♪ ♪ How'd ya like to be a big wheel?
-
You're the big wheel.
-
Plus, his dad was a big wheel on the Tribal Council—he'd barely lost the presidential election.
Fiction book (2001) -
She was a big wheel in the nonprofit world, organizing major fundraising events.
-
After years of hard work, he finally became a big wheel in the tech industry.
Synonyms
181
7.8
A person or group that gives energy and direction to an organization
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
43
3.5
A famous and important person or group in one area
37
3.8
An important person who is treated as successful or powerful
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
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
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
5.5
An important person in a small group who has more power than elsewhere
1
8.6
An important person with power in a group or area
1
8.2
A very large and powerful company or group that dominates its field
Antonyms
How Important
- Literature
33
7.0
- Literature
14
7.0
- Informal
1
5.6
5
4.1
- Offensive
18
2.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'an important, influential person' is partly derivable because 'big' can mean important and 'wheel' can be understood metaphorically as something that drives a system. However, the use of 'wheel' to mean a key individual is metaphorical and not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, so comprehension is only partial.
Etymology
Big wheel may come from the image of a large wheel in a machine that turns many smaller parts. Because the big wheel controls the whole machine, the phrase came to mean 'an important person'.