big head
Definition
Noun (informal): - An inflated sense of one's own importance: "big head" refers to an attitude of arrogance or excessive pride in oneself, often resulting from success or praise. - A person who is conceited: "big head" can also denote someone who behaves as if they are superior to others.
Usage Examples
- (He became arrogant and self-important.)
- (She is a conceited person.)
Advanced Usage
"to have a big head": to be overly proud or self-important.
- Don't let the promotion give you a big head — stay humble. (Do not become arrogant due to success.)
"to get a big head": to become conceited, usually after receiving attention or praise.
- He got a big head after the newspaper article about his achievements. (He became excessively proud.)
Variants and Related Words
Big-headed (adj): having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance; conceited.
- She is too big-headed to admit she made a mistake. (She is too arrogant to acknowledge an error.)
Bigheadedness (n): the state or quality of being conceited.
- His bigheadedness made him unpopular among his colleagues. (His arrogance caused dislike.)
Synonyms
- Conceit: excessive pride in oneself.
- Arrogance: an attitude of superiority.
- Swollen head: a British informal synonym for "big head."
Related Idioms
"to be full of oneself": to be excessively self-absorbed or proud.
- He is so full of himself since he got that job. (He is very conceited.)
"to think one is the bee's knees": to believe one is exceptionally clever or important.
- She thinks she's the bee's knees because she won the competition. (She is overly proud.)
Notes
- This term is informal and often used in a critical or humorous context.
- It is typically used in negative constructions (e.g., "don't get a big head") or to describe someone unfavorably.