Meanings
plural bigwigs · alternative big wig · alternative big-wig
- informalA person of importance in a group or organization.
The company bigwig is gathering his staff together for a meeting today.
2 more examples
[…] more innocently, and no doubt profitably, than if he had dined at a big-wig's board or bemused himself with smoke and beer among his brethren of the pen.
1891, Grace L. Keith Johnston, The Halletts: A Country Town Chronicle, volume 3, page 34Before her hay-day, she attended many derbys under her dad's celebrity where she'd hobnob with the bigwigs in Millionaire's Row.
2016 May 5, “Reality star Bethenny Frankel talks hats, hangovers and her Kentucky Derby party at Empire City Casino”, in New York Daily NewsSynonyms: big cheese, VIP, baron, big cheese, big enchilada, big gun, big kahuna, big man
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person of importance in a group or organization.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe most important person in a group or undertaking
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
First arose in the 1730s, from big + wig. Formerly, English men of authority (such as judges and Members of Parliament) wore wigs. Bigwig plays on the idea that higher authority is denoted by a larger wig.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech velké zvíře, papaláš
- velké zvířeA person of importance
- papalášA person of importance
Dutch hoge ome, bobo
- hoge omeA person of importance
- boboA person of importance
- dikkopA person of importance
- kopstukA person of importance
Esperanto grandulo
- granduloA person of importance
Estonian suur nina, tähtis tegelane
- suur ninaA person of importance
- tähtis tegelaneA person of importance
Finnish pamppu, napamies
- pamppuA person of importance
- napamiesA person of importance
- silmäätekeväA person of importance
- kihoA person of importance
French grosse légume, huile
- grosse légumeA person of importance
- huileA person of importance
- gros bonnetA person of importance
- bonzeA person of importance
- grosse pointureA person of importance
German hohes Tier, Persönlichkeit
- hohes TierA person of importance
- PersönlichkeitA person of importance
- BonzeA person of importance
- GroßkopferterA person of importance
Hebrew איש חשוב מאוד
- איש חשוב מאוד (ish hashuv meod)A person of importance
Indonesian kakap
- kakapA person of importance
Irish boc mór
- boc mórA person of importance
Italian capo, barbassoro
- capoA person of importance
- barbassoroA person of importance
- pataffioneA person of importance
- pallone gonfiatoA person of importance
Japanese 大物
- 大物 (ōmono)A person of importance
Polish gruba ryba, szycha
- gruba rybaA person of importance
- szychaA person of importance
- figuraA person of importance
- VIPA person of importance
Russian большая ши́шка, важная пти́ца
- большая ши́шка (bolʹšaja šíška)A person of importance
- важная пти́ца (važnaja ptíca)A person of importance
Spanish pez gordo, barón
- pez gordoA person of importance
- barónA person of importance
- mandamásA person of importance
- jefazoA person of importance
Swedish höjdare
- höjdareA person of importance
Welsh pwysigyn
- pwysigynA person of importance
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with bigwig
All rhymes →Cite this entry
bigwig. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bigwig
“bigwig.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bigwig. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bigwig,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bigwig.
Source: bigwig on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.