big name

noun

: a performer or personage of top rank in popular recognition

a big name in the business world

big-name

ˈbig-ˌnām 

adjective

Examples of big name in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

She was played by a big name, Charlize Theron, which made her future absence all the more strange. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

But eventually even those big names failed to draw big audiences, as in the case of 2020’s Ratched, starring Paulson as the sinister One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest nurse. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026

In addition to the Fab Four castings, several big names have been tapped to portray other important characters in The Beatles’ lives. — Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

And the direction of Asian equities has come to rely increasingly on a few big names. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for big name

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe