big fish

1. an important or powerful person

2. a big fish in a small pond the most important or powerful person in a small group

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

big fish - an important influential person; "he thinks he's a big shot"; "she's a big deal in local politics"; "the Qaeda commander is a very big fish"

big cheese, big deal, big enchilada, big gun, big shot, big wheel, head honcho

colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

important person, influential person, personage - a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events

knocker - (Yiddish) a big shot who knows it and acts that way; a boastful immoderate person

supremo - the most important person in an organization

big fish

noun powerful person, authority, leader, important person, supreme person, influential person a big fish in the murky pool of high finance

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

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References in classic literature

The idea of finding himself in so lonesome a spot made him so sad that he was about to cry, but just then he saw a big Fish swimming near-by, with his head far out of the water.

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'Where are you going?' said Rose-red; 'you surely don't want to go into the water?' 'I am not such a fool!' cried the dwarf; 'don't you see that the accursed fish wants to pull me in?' The little man had been sitting there fishing, and unluckily the wind had tangled up his beard with the fishing-line; a moment later a big fish made a bite and the feeble creature had not strength to pull it out; the fish kept the upper hand and pulled the dwarf towards him.

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I think you are cut into baits by the screw, but you dreeft - dreeft to me, and I make a big fish of you.

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Laurence hooked up a big fish with the crooked end of his cane and held it out to her.

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"When I do I have to throw it back again; especially the big fish. But some of the little beasts interest me when I get 'em."

"I told you before I had to throw back the big fish."

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"This 'ere is like a bloomin' gallantry-show!" For the rest of the day he was dumb, but achieved an ensanguined filthiness through the cleaning of big fish.

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One day, while he was watching the horses, he came to the banks of a river, and saw a big fish, which through some mischance had been cast on the land, struggling hard to get back into the water.

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We should get the big fish, but the smaller would dart right and left out of the net.

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? On the Burnside Pool, at Broughty Ferry's Forbes of Kingennie resort, big fish were to the fore also, with Ian Barlow releasing a magnificent rainbow estimated at 15lb Mr.

ANGLING; WORLD of sport

The media must attract their readers and so they craft headlines that capture the imagination of such an audience.Take big fish to Kamiti.

Stop stealing from public to fund polls

To help the PACC in its efforts to catch big fish, Dominguez has ordered all DOF offices and attached agencies to coordinate with the agency.

Finance chief wants 'big fish' catch for PACC