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 of honcho

• heavyweight
• big
• heavy
• magnate
• bigwig

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

His wife, Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon), sees therapeutic possibility in a labor documentary being directed by Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong), who is herself married to wealthy private-equity honcho Sang-woo (Zo In-sung). — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026

That conversation ranged from the actresses’ friendship over the years, to memories of One Day at a Time honcho Norman Lear, to Phillips’ experience on the set of the 1973 Francis Ford Coppola classic American Graffiti. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026

The veteran industry honcho underscored the exceptional lineup from Norway — nine final picks from 30 submissions, including five debuts. — Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

The masked hero pops a power-inhibitor gadget on Jean, allowing Damage Control honcho Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) to capture her. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

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