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

Northwestern’s Dave Davis, the longtime liaison between the university and residents, stuck around and mingled with the big names who had gathered there. — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Those victories bookended credits on Billboard 200-topping projects by The Weeknd (Beauty Behind the Madness), Frank Ocean (Blonde) and Drake (More Life), among many other big names. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

The New York representative has been a big name in the Democratic Socialists of America as socialists establish a political foothold in positions across the country. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Given Apple's value proposition as the only big name in tech not dependent on harvesting your data, its AI implementation depends on on-device processing. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 1 Oct. 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