big shot

plural big shots · alternative bigshot · alternative big-shot

1. idiomaticinformalA person with a reputation of importance or power.

   They stopped traffic so some big shot and his entourage could have the whole road to themselves.

   1 more example

   'They're just making it look as if all their big shots were gaga. God knows how they're going to unscramble the whole business.'

   1953, Ian Fleming, “The White Tent”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 138

   Synonyms: bigwig, baron, big cheese, big enchilada, big gun, big kahuna, big man, big name

2. idiomaticinformalA rare and significant chance to achieve fame or success.

   her one big shot at the brass ring

3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see big, shot.