big deal

American  

[big deel] / ˈbɪg ˈdil /

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!

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idioms

1. (it’s) no big deal. no big deal

big deal British  

interjection

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

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big deal More Idioms  

1. 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 .

2. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of big deal

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

“Large deals are driving the market. And when you see big deals, it’s a sign of CEO and boardroom confidence,” said Ivan Farman, global co-head of M&A at Bank of America.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We went into this knowing that this is a big deal and a big sale,” he says, noting that marketing this scale of property can typically cost upward of $50,000.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a very big deal because this is the club’s first New Year’s Eve in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

I was talking to Ford the other day and they were making a big deal out of keeping a human in the loop.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kevin Boehnke, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Michigan Medical School, says the two studies “are a big deal.”

From The Wall Street Journal