big deal

noun

: something of special importance
what's the big deal?
sometimes used ironically as an interjection

Examples of big deal in a Sentence

The party was a big deal. The cost didn't seem like much to me, but I know it was a big deal for many people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Halloween in Conway, South Carolina, wasn’t always a big deal. Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025 Somebody in baseball is going to be willing to give Story a big deal. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Losing back-to-back games is no big deal. Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 This bigger-than-big deal reflects the popularity of van der Kolk’s Body Keeps the Score, which has sold millions of copies in 36 languages and spent nearly seven years on the Times’s Bestseller List as of August 2025. James Folta, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for big deal

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big deal was in 1915

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Cite this Entry

“Big deal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20deal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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