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head honcho

head honcho

9 6.3
A person who is in charge of a company or group
  • noun
  • /hɛd ˈhɒntʃoʊ/
  • Slang
translation icon : jefe
  • Darren Rowse is the head honcho there, and he does a fantastic job bringing info, tips, and jobs to bloggers.
  • the big head honcho
  • the new head honcho

Frank, the head honcho goes down.

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Examples

Synonyms

leader
vshead honcho
1.0

A person who guides and directs a group, organization, or country

focuses more on formal organizational authority and official responsibility than inspiration
chief
vshead honcho
1.9

A person who leads a group or community

can mean a person in charge who is not necessarily the top authority
boss
vshead honcho
1.0

A person in charge of a group or workers

is any important leader in an organization, not only supervisors
commander
vshead honcho
3.6

A person in charge of a group who gives orders and leads them

is the general influential leader in any organization, not only military command
head
vshead honcho
2.2

A person who is in charge of a group or organization

emphasizes their importance and influence within the organization rather than title
president
vshead honcho
  • Formal
768 2.6

The senior leader of a university who manages the school's work and staff

is the broader label for an important leader not only academic administrators
CEO
vshead honcho
678 3.5

A person who leads a company and makes its big decisions

refers broadly to an influential leader rather than a particular corporate role
superintendent
vshead honcho
166 6.0

A person who manages an organization or its department, often in police and schools

is the general important person in charge, not only institutional managers
big shot
vshead honcho
  • Informal
91 3.9

A person who is important and powerful in a job or field

emphasizes actual leadership role and responsibility rather than mere prominence
big deal
vshead honcho
  • Informal
37 3.8

An important person who is treated as successful or powerful

is the simple label for the person who actually holds responsibility and power
chief executive officer
vshead honcho
34 3.6

A person who leads a company and makes its main decisions

is the general important person in charge, not a specific corporate title
kingpin
vshead honcho
  • Literature
33 7.0

The most important person who controls a group or activity

often refers to a leading person but not always the formal authority
bigwig
vshead honcho
  • Informal
22 6.9

An important person with power in a company or group

focuses more on having real authority and formal responsibility rather than status alone
top dog
vshead honcho
  • Informal
21 4.6

A person with the most power in a group

can mean any important leader and not always the single top person
honcho
vshead honcho
  • Informal
20 8.9

A person in charge of a team or project

is the neutral general term for an important person in charge
department head
vshead honcho
20 3.0

A person who leads a department in a company or school

is a general organizational leader not limited to one department
chairperson
vshead honcho
15 3.5

A person who leads a meeting, committee, or organization

is any influential organizational leader, not limited to presiding roles
prefect
vshead honcho
  • Formal
15 8.0

A senior official in government or the police who leads a region

is a more general leader term not tied to those specific official roles
big fish
vshead honcho
  • Informal
14 3.6

An important person in a group or organization who has power

points to someone who officially holds authority over others in the group
big gun
vshead honcho
  • Informal
9 5.1

An important person with power in a company or field

is used for the one who officially runs or manages the organization
big cheese
vshead honcho
  • Slang
8 5.3

A person who is very important in a group or company

is the straightforward term for the person who manages or directs the group
tête
vshead honcho
  • Formal
4 9.9

The person in charge of a group or organization

is the familiar term for any important leader without foreign styling
spearhead
vshead honcho
3 5.0

A person leading a movement or attack

describes the formal person in charge rather than the activity's front leader
supremo
vshead honcho
3 8.4

A person who is the most important leader in a group or organization

is the general person in charge, not necessarily the supreme ruler
comandante
vshead honcho
2 8.4

A person who leads and gives orders to others, often in Spanish-speaking countries

is the general organizational leader term used in many other contexts
headman
vshead honcho
2 7.3

A man who leads a village or tribe and makes decisions for the group

is the general term for an important leader not limited by gender or tribe
head teacher
vshead honcho
  • UK
1 3.2

A person who leads a school and is responsible for its teachers and students

is the broader important leader concept not limited to educational roles
political boss
vshead honcho
1 6.0

A powerful party leader who controls votes and gives government jobs

is the visible formal leader, not the behind the scenes controller
big enchilada
vshead honcho
  • Informal
1 8.6

An important person with power in a group or area

means the person in charge with actual responsibilities rather than status alone
hierarch
vshead honcho
1 9.9

A person who has a high position in a church or other group

is the general person in charge rather than simply a high ranked official
big wheel
vshead honcho
  • Informal
1 5.6

An important person who has a lot of power in a group

applies to the person who holds responsibility and authority in the group
grand fromage
vshead honcho
  • Informal
1 8.9

An important person in charge who people call jokingly

is a plain expression for an important leader without joking tone
big white chief
vshead honcho
  • Informal
1 7.9

A person in charge whom people jokingly call very important

is the neutral term for an influential or responsible leader without irony
brass hat
vshead honcho
  • Jargon
1 8.0

A senior officer who works at headquarters and makes important decisions

is the broader term for an important leader, not only military officials
project head
vshead honcho
1 3.6

A person who leads a team working on a particular task

refers to the overall influential leader rather than a project specific role
tsar of the team
vshead honcho
  • UK
8.7

A person who leads a team and makes most decisions

is the more neutral term for the person in charge without dominance connotation

Antonyms

295 1.6

A person who supports a leader and accepts their direction

21 4.8

Lower in rank or importance and under someone's control

How Senior

head honcho
  • Slang
9 6.3
Chief Executive
  • Formal
77 5.5
boss
1.0
director
424 3.0
manager
1.6
supervisor
346 2.8

Surface Forms

head honcho singular
head honchos plural

Morphology

head + honcho

Both constituents explicitly denote a leader ('head' = person who leads; 'honcho' = informal leader), so the combined phrase redundantly signals 'the person in charge' and its meaning is directly derivable from the parts. Although colloquial, the composition is transparent and a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun head honcho may come from the Japanese word 'hancho' that US soldiers used after World War II to mean a small group leader. People later added the English word head before honcho to show the very top person, so it now means 'the person in charge'.