as in heavyweights
one of high position or importance within a group
interviewed by several bigwigs on the hospital's staff
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Recent Examples of bigwigs
There will be galas, dinners, concerts, and a ribbon cutting with all the local political bigwigs.
—
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
Walmart’s bigwigs are no exception.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Everyone seemed a little confused about it and the Legion bigwigs didn’t help much.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
The business of sports is on full display in Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum’s annual shindig for bigwigs kicked off earlier this week.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Elsewhere on the black and gold carpet outside the Ray Dolby Ballroom on Sunday night, Hollywood bigwigs such as Sydney Sweeney, Kate Hudson and Zoey Deutch brought golden age glamour with sophisticated updos and curly bobs.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025
So was the mayor, alongside other local bigwigs.
—Chase Jordan
updated November 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2025
Other Party bigwigs expressed disappointment, too, from the progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to the milquetoast Democratic National Committee leader Ken Martin.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Sharon and Expectation met with then BBC content boss Charlotte Moore and other bigwigs at the British public broadcaster, and Home to Roost was set up as a ten-part BBC series that would follow the return home.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
Walmart’s bigwigs are no exception.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Everyone seemed a little confused about it and the Legion bigwigs didn’t help much.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
The business of sports is on full display in Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum’s annual shindig for bigwigs kicked off earlier this week.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Elsewhere on the black and gold carpet outside the Ray Dolby Ballroom on Sunday night, Hollywood bigwigs such as Sydney Sweeney, Kate Hudson and Zoey Deutch brought golden age glamour with sophisticated updos and curly bobs.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 17 Nov. 2025
So was the mayor, alongside other local bigwigs.
—Chase Jordan
updated November 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2025
Other Party bigwigs expressed disappointment, too, from the progressives Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to the milquetoast Democratic National Committee leader Ken Martin.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Sharon and Expectation met with then BBC content boss Charlotte Moore and other bigwigs at the British public broadcaster, and Home to Roost was set up as a ten-part BBC series that would follow the return home.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bigwigs
Noun
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Her moment of realization was heart-wrenching (and funny) and turned both into reality-TV heavyweights.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The South Korean market had been on a tear last year, soaring more than 75%, and extended gains into the new year as well, with the Kospi hitting fresh highs on the back of semiconductor heavyweights that have seen their shares surge on strong memory chip demand.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Actually, most starting Big Ten bigs would leave Fielder in the dust.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Blount said afterward that her team was unselfish with the guards feeding the post and the bigs kicking the ball back out to give guards shots.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Specifically, Alioto sought to reimagine the magazine as a many-pronged vehicle for promising tastes—like those of regular contributors and critical heavies, Grace Byron and Greta Rainbow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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Absinthe-eyed, she projectile-vomits blunt observations and also oysters onto the heavies, overimbibing her way into her own grave once she’s inevitably discarded with a shot and shove down a stairwell (a barely-there John Magaro plays one of the gangsters).—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But where does Ted Turner live now that other tycoons have bought up enough acreage to surpass his record?—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
6 Feb. 2026
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During the Cannes Film Festival, tycoons and oligarchs feature on the guest list, rubbing shoulders with high-profile celebrities who relax with croquet games between press junkets.—
Mary Winston Nicklin,
AFAR Media,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And in the milk biz, Guida and his brother Frank had gone from pickup truck peddling to the undisputed milk magnates of Central Connecticut.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2026
-
During America’s Gilded Age, the era’s industrial titans—steel, oil, and rail magnates—turned to Europe for inspiration for their home decor and architecture.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bigwigs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bigwigs. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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