bigwig

See also: big-wig and big wig

English

Alternative forms

big wig, big-wig

Etymology

First arose in the 1730s, from big +‎ wig. Formerly, English men of authority wore wigs. Bigwig plays on the idea that higher authority is denoted by a larger wig.

Noun

bigwig (plural bigwigs)

(humorous) A person of importance to a group or organization.
The company bigwig is gathering his staff together for a meeting today.
- 2016 May 5, “Reality star Bethenny Frankel talks hats, hangovers and her Kentucky Derby party at Empire City Casino”, in New York Daily News:
  Before her hay-day, she attended many derbys under her dad's celebrity where she'd hobnob with the bigwigs in Millionaire's Row.

Synonyms

big cheese, big enchilada, big kahuna, big wheel, grand poobah, head honcho, kingpin, muckety muck, top banana, top dog, VIP

Translations

A person of importance

Dutch: hoge ome, bobo (nl)
Estonian: suur nina, tähtis tegelane
Finnish: pamppu (fi), napamies, silmäätekevä (fi), kiho (fi)
French: grosse légume (fr) f, huile (fr) f, gros bonnet (fr) m
German: hohes Tier (de) n, Persönlichkeit (de) f, Bonze (de) m
Indonesian: kakap (id)

Irish: boc mór m
Italian: capo (it) m, barbassoro (it) m, pataffione m, pallone gonfiato m
Russian: большая ши́шка (bolʹšaja šíška) (big fir-cone), важная пти́ца (ru) (važnaja ptíca) (important bird)
Spanish: pez gordo m
Welsh: pwysigyn m

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