big idea
Americannoun
-
any plan or proposal that is grandiose, impractical, and usually unsolicited.
You're always coming around here with your big ideas.
-
purpose; intention; aim.
What's the big idea of shouting at me?
Etymology
Origin of big idea
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25
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.
“The Death of Robin Hood’s” one big idea is compelling: History gets written and erased in real time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Presumably whenever a stockpicker—whether investor or analyst—chooses the next big idea, that choice isn’t made cavalierly.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
But then, the agency people unveiled their big idea: to create a campaign centered around reanimated digital avatars of our dead loved ones.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
The big idea was to take Tesla’s learnings from its self-driving technology, which uses software and cameras to autonomously drive automobiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
One big idea behind finding your model was that when you did, you’d glimpse your future.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
