Definition

1. Noun:
   • An important, influential, or powerful person: A "big gun" refers to a person who holds significant authority, influence, or status within a particular field, organization, or context. The term often implies that the person is a key player or a major force.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • For this crucial negotiation, we need to bring in the big guns from the head office.
  • The conference featured several big guns from the tech industry, including the CEOs of major companies.
  • He's not just a manager; he's one of the big guns who makes the final decisions.

Advanced Usage

• "To bring out / roll out the big guns": To use or involve the most important, powerful, or influential people or resources in order to achieve something.
  • The legal team brought out the big guns for the Supreme Court case.
  • When the project started failing, the company rolled out the big guns to fix it.

Variants and Related Words

• Big shot (noun): A very important or influential person. (Often used similarly to "big gun," but can sometimes carry a slightly more informal or boastful connotation.)
• Bigwig (noun): An important person, especially in a particular organization. (Informal)
• Big cheese (noun): An important, powerful person. (Informal, somewhat old-fashioned)
• Heavyweight (noun): A person of great importance, influence, or skill in a particular area.
  • A political heavyweight.

Synonyms

• VIP (Very Important Person): A person of great importance or influence.
• Mogul: A powerful or influential person, especially in business or industry.
• Luminary: A person who inspires or influences others, especially one prominent in a particular sphere.
• Top brass: The people in the highest positions of authority, especially in the military or an organization.

Related Phrases

• Top dog: The person who is the most important or powerful in a particular group.
  • After the merger, she became the top dog in the department.
• Key player: A person who has a very important role in an activity or organization.
  • He is a key player in the research and development team.

Related Idioms

• A big fish in a small pond: An important or influential person, but only within a limited context or small organization/community.
  • He was a big gun at his old company, but here he's just another manager. (This illustrates the relative nature of the term "big gun.")
• The powers that be: The people in authority; the leaders or decision-makers.
  • The final approval has to come from the big guns, the powers that be.

Noun

1. 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