Jump To:

• big game
  big game

  noun

  large wild animals, especially when hunted for sport.
• Big Game
  Big Game

  noun

  Usually the Big Game an alternate name for the Super Bowl, used in advertising by brands that are not official sponsors and therefore do not have permission to use the trademarked name of the NFL championship game.

big game

¹ American  

[big geym] / ˈbɪg ˈgeɪm /

noun

1. large wild animals, especially when hunted for sport.

   Expensive vacation packages to hunt big game like leopards or elephants in Africa are marketed almost exclusively to wealthy foreign tourists.

2. large fish, as tuna and marlin, when sought by deep-sea anglers.

   Participants in the sport fishing tournament regularly return to shore with big game exceeding 200 pounds.

3. a major objective, especially one that involves risk.

   The merger shows their commitment to the big game, in a market where half measures just won’t pay off.

---

Big Game ² American  

[big geym] / ˈbɪg ˈgeɪm /

noun

Football.

1. Usually the Big Game an alternate name for the Super Bowl, used in advertising by brands that are not official sponsors and therefore do not have permission to use the trademarked name of the NFL championship game.

   The best time to buy a new television is in late January, during sales promotions for the Big Game.

---

big game British  

noun

1. large animals that are hunted or fished for sport

2. informal the objective of an important or dangerous undertaking

---

Etymology

Origin of big game

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big game Big Game

Secretary Scott Bessent has talked a big game about bringing down yields, but so far his efforts haven’t been big enough.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

"It was a big game, massive game, tough opponent, and we got there in the end, so brilliant," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

“Doing this every day is what matters, but I think this is a big game for us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Georgia Hallgalley and Jake Hawker say they will have a projector showing the football at their wedding reception in Guildford to avoid guests missing out on the big game.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

“Yeh, that’s great, Karen. I’m sure glad you told me. Are you all keyed up for the big game tonight?”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Overall, this round of action is thought to be the third-largest in top-flight history, with the two above it boosted by festive turnouts, including Harlequins' annual Big Game fixture drawing near-capacity crowds to Allianz Stadium.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

It’s a portrait of a team assembled from spare parts and one generational talent that somehow made it all the way to the Big Game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

Xfinity’s first-ever Big Game bid utilizes de-aging software to bring Jurassic Park stars Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill back to the ’90s.

From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026

Many snack and beverage brands from PepsiCo are also confirmed advertisers at the Big Game.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

Our Big Game Licenses arrived after breakfast, and permits for five hundred rounds of rifle ammunition each.

From The Ivory Trail by Talbot Mundy