big deal

[big deel]

noun

1. an important or impressive person or thing.

   to make a big deal out of nothing;

   I hear he's a big deal on Wall Street now.

2. (used ironically as an interjection to indicate that one considers something to be unimportant or unimpressive).

   So you're the mayor's cousin—big deal!

big deal

interjection

1. slang,  an exclamation of scorn, derision, etc, used esp to belittle a claim or offer

Word History and Origins

Origin of big deal¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. (it’s) no big deal. no big deal

A matter of great interest or importance, as in Performing in Symphony Hall is a big deal for everyone in the chorus . [c. 1940] Also see under make a federal case out of .

So what? Who cares? For example, So you got the job after all—well, big deal! This use of the phrase as an ironic interjection dates from approximately the same time.

Example Sentences

The settlement is a “big deal” for renters, said K Agbebiyi of the nonprofit Private Equity Stakeholder Project.

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"We have found so many exoplanets at this point that discovering a new one is not such a big deal," said co-author Paul Robertson, UC Irvine associate professor of physics & astronomy.

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"That could be a big deal for beekeepers," said Dr. Foster.

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“Coming and making it to the championship is a big deal for us. Excited to be here in this moment and live in the moment.”

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Money was one reason Brooks and her sister became child actors and why her announcement that she wanted to be a cinematographer was such a big deal.

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