big kahuna

noun

A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

“You'll have to talk with the big kahuna to get a decision on that.”

Similar
important personbig cheesebig enchiladabigwigbig wheelgrand poobahhead honchokingpin
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Meanings

nounbig kahuna (plural big kahunas)

plural big kahunas

  1. idiomaticinformalA boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

    You'll have to talk with the big kahuna to get a decision on that.

    Synonyms: important person, big cheese, big enchilada, bigwig, big wheel, grand poobah, head honcho, kingpin

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

Similar
important personbig cheesebig enchiladabigwigbig wheelgrand poobahhead honchokingpinmuckety mucktop bananatop dog
Also see
baronbig cheesebig daddybig enchiladabig gunbig namebig shotbig wheelbigwiggrand vizierhead honchoking of the castleking of the hillking of the junglekingpinmachermaster of the universemuckamuckmuckety muckmugwumpnumero unopanjandrumtop bananatop gun

Origin

Borrowed from Hawaiian word kahuna (“a shaman or wizard”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish pääjehu
  • pääjehuboss
Italian pezzo da novanta
  • pezzo da novantaboss
Portuguese mandachuva
  • mandachuvaboss
Spanish gran jefe
  • gran jefeboss
Cite this entry
APA

big kahuna. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/big%20kahuna

MLA

“big kahuna.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/big%20kahuna. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “big kahuna,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/big%20kahuna.

Source: big kahuna on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.