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Synonyms

big shot

American  

noun

Informal.

  1. an important or influential person.

big shot British  

noun

  1. informal an important or influential person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
big shot Idioms  

  1. see under big cheese.

Etymology

Origin of big shot

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Big shot after big shot, chests and fists bumped regularly as Bradley and Mickelson turned golf into a contact sport.

From Chicago Tribune • Sep. 29, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.