big man on campus

noun phrase

US, somewhat old-fashioned

: an important and well-known person especially at a school

The quarterback of the football team is a real big man on campus.

Examples of big man on campus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If this was a school, Lestat is the big man on campus and Daniel is the nerdy guy working for the school newspaper who can’t wait to find some dirt on this guy. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 June 2026

After decades in memorable supporting roles (Bridge of Spies, Game Night, Into the Woods, No Time to Die, the 2025 live-action version of Lilo & Stitch), Billy Magnussen is the big man on campus in AMC's new Silicon Valley satire The Audacity. — Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026

Maxi Adams, Sierra Canyon’s 6-foot-8 senior, was the big man on campus until another All-American, Brandon McCoy, showed up this season, along with Brannon Martinsen, a former Trinity League player of the year. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026

But graduation has a funny way of humbling even the big man on campus. — Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026

Joe Keery Keery plays high school big man on campus turned ice-cream-scooper Steve Harrington. — Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025

MacKenzie Gore was the big man on campus, so to speak, while training this past offseason with McFerran — then the school’s director of player development and pitching lab coordinator. — Andrew Golden, Washington Post, 1 July 2024

Rhymes for big man on campus

• grampus
• hippocampus