the big cheese
noun
informal
: a most powerful or important person
You'll have to ask the big cheese.
Who's the big cheese around here?
Examples of the big cheese in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even before the pandemic altered the tenor of the workplace, being the big cheese, taskmaster, and head honcho was passé.
—
John Hall, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Irvine’s mayor was the big cheese, with total comp of $52,633 ($29,700 in total wages, plus $22,933 in health and retirement benefits).
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 11 May 2024
Meghan McCain has beef with the big cheese — Chuck E. Cheese, to be exact.
—EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023
In new hands, a rural Virginia gem continues its delicious streak
How might the big cheese tackle the list?
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
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John Hall, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Irvine’s mayor was the big cheese, with total comp of $52,633 ($29,700 in total wages, plus $22,933 in health and retirement benefits).
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 11 May 2024
Meghan McCain has beef with the big cheese — Chuck E. Cheese, to be exact.
—EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023
In new hands, a rural Virginia gem continues its delicious streak
How might the big cheese tackle the list?
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
Cite this Entry
“The big cheese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20big%20cheese. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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