big shot
79
3.9
- noun
- /bɪɡ ʃɑt/
- Informal
- The new CEO is a big shot in the tech industry, known for his innovative ideas.
- a lot of big shots
- act like a big shot
- a Hollywood big shot
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Watch on YouTubeThey'll have all those economic big shots like Krup and Tyson.
- They'll have all those economic big shots like Krup and Tyson.
- These are Kennedy people because, you know, the big shots, they don't need the Kennedys.
- And then he moved to New York City and became a big shot lawyer.
- Because I can say from experience, you can feel like a big shot in life until you're in certain rooms.
- You can walk around your little place and feel like the the big shot.
- You can think of yourself as this hot shot, big shot guy or gal, doesn't matter.
- So when it comes to narcissistic abuse, it's the regular folks that not big shots, who fall the hardest.
- You know, it was, it was, you know, it kept my reality check because like, OK, you're, you're a big shot trying to sell jets, but you're just selling jets.
- So my brother in law's dad, he was like this massive, big, big, big shot attorney, divorce attorney in Milwaukee.
- And it's not just to like be a big shot or to keep them from disliking you or to make them like you.
- And one of my friends who was kind of a big shot at network, he was the only one that apologized to me.
- And it's a continuum ranging from passive aggressive mockery like oh hey look your mom thinks she's a big shot now.
- And she is feeding this guy, telling him that because she's like some, I don't know, big shot lawyer or something.
- I put my blood, sweat and tears into building him, and he forgot to mention him with these big shots.
- Like, like I noticed that Danny puts his money where it's where it's smart and not where it's flashy to let everybody know, hey, look, I'm a big shot.
- And these assholes are such big shots, you know?
- I think Logan Paul is a big shot in the arm for boxing.
- He was sort of the headline or the big * big shot of the club, but it was just OK.
- But this is like, you know, they're big shot woman who plays my daughter Lukita.
Examples
-
OK, well, I would love to know because I'm the mayor and I'm still a big shot in this town.
-
Her husband was a big-shot banker, and she'd been to Rio and everywhere.
Fiction book (1990) -
Had to go and be a big shot on TV.
-
You are the big shot.
-
Bill's a big shot in his way.
-
I saw him on the TV news a lot with all the other big shots.
Fiction book (1991) -
Her husband is a big shot engineer; he can help her.
Fiction book (1995) -
There are some big shots involved in this mess, and it's my word against theirs.
Fiction book (1991) -
All of our dads were these big shots.
-
Everybody says, "Tony Camonte, he's a big shot."
Synonyms
100
2.5
An important person who is well known in a field
91
3.5
A famous and important person or group in one area
58
4.5
A person, team, or organization that is very successful and able to influence others
54
6.7
A person who is very important and powerful in a group
51
7.0
A person who is very skilled and often admired at their job
37
6.8
A very important event, thing, or person that matters a lot
34
3.8
A person or company that has a lot of power in a field
32
5.1
An important person with power in a company or field
29
3.6
An important person in a group or organization who has power
26
4.0
A very important and influential person in a field
25
3.8
An important person who is treated as successful or powerful
17
6.9
An important person with power in a company or group
16
8.1
An important person who makes key decisions for a group
15
4.9
A person who has a lot of power and influence in a field
10
5.3
A person who is very important in a group or company
9
6.3
A person who is in charge of a company or group
8
9.5
A very important person in a group or organization, often the most powerful
2
5.6
An important person who has a lot of power in a group
1
8.6
An important person with power in a group or area
1
3.8
A person or thing that is very famous and successful, often in entertainment
1
8.6
A person who has a lot of influence or authority in a field
Antonyms
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'big' signals largeness or importance, the noun 'shot' in its literal senses (a hit, an attempt, or a person who shoots) does not transparently yield the meaning 'important person'. The compound is an idiomatic collocation whose overall meaning is not predictably composed from its parts, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words is unlikely to infer the intended sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
The expression big shot may come from hunting or marksmanship: imagine someone who makes a very strong shot that hits a big target and earns attention. That's why people started using big shot to mean 'an important or powerful person'.