honcho

noun

hon·​cho ˈhän-(ˌ)chō 

plural honchos

: boss, big shot

also : hotshot sense 1

Did you know?

A relic of the large U.S. presence in Japan in the years following World War II, the word honcho comes from the Japanese word hanchō meaning “leader of the squad, section, group.” We are uncertain of the exact route by which honcho found its way into American military argot in the mid-1950s, though it is known that the Japanese applied hanchō to British or Australian officers in charge of work parties in prisoner-of-war camps. By the 1960s, the word had become part of colloquial American jargon.

Synonyms

• heavyweight
• heavy
• big
• magnate
• bigwig
• tycoon

Examples of honcho in a Sentence

the office was all abuzz because some honchos from corporate headquarters were coming for a visit

he's definitely the head honcho in that company

Recent Examples on the Web

In the trailer, Ruffalo’s Tom is assigned to the task force by FBI honcho Kathleen, portrayed by Martha Plimpton. —Liza Esquibias, People.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Hip hop honcho Fat Joe and Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar have teamed up for a new signature cocktail. —Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025

According to Kassan’s version of events, UTA honcho Jeremy Zimmer broke promises to foster the growth of MediaLink within UTA, and instead sought to trim expenses and boost prices. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 31 July 2025

Victoria’s Secret’s longtime chief Les Wexner and private equity honcho Leon Black were Epstein’s two largest financial clients. —Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese hanchō squad leader, from han squad + chō head, chief

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing honcho

• head honcho

Rhymes for honcho

• broncho
• concho
• poncho