kahuna

noun

kə-ˈhü-nə How to pronounce kahuna (audio)
Definition of kahunanext
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group a big kahuna at a Hollywood talent agency, he's got the fancy car to prove it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kahuna The China tariff deal—not yet done—is the big kahuna in all of this. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2025 But EnCharge is entering a competitive field, and among the competitors is the big kahuna, Nvidia. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2025 This has to be a big kahuna, among records Swift could break that go back to the very beginning of the album chart. — Chris Willman, Variety, 19 June 2024 As an inside joke, Keōua’s kahuna, whose tongue Ka’iana rips out of his mouth in front of Keōua during the hectic battle, is played by Kahoʻokahi Kanuha, Momoa’s ʻŌlelo Hawai’i coach. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for kahuna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kahuna
  1. heavyweight
  2. big
  3. heavy
  4. king
  5. queen
  6. lion
  7. magnate
Noun
  • This comes after index heavyweight SK Hynix sank over 10% in Asian trade.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 13 July 2026
  • Its Virginia Payload Module gives it a large and well-defined cruise-missile capacity, while its torpedo tubes can launch Mk 48 heavyweight torpedoes.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • Rushing has already endured several tests in his first full season in the bigs.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Data show those players have about an 11% chance to reach the bigs (compared to about 81% for those picked in the first round).
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of big
Noun
  • Soon after Rhaenyra executes Otto Hightower, who was once mastermind of that family’s schemes, Ormund steps up to be the faction’s new heavy.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
  • Shares of Meta are flat on the year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 is up 18%.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • The War In times of peace, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) had hosted parties in their palace for all — even beggars were welcome.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Jon Bernthal as Menelaus Menelaus is the king whose wife Helen sparked the Trojan War.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • But after episode 4, his machinations and power plays have come to light, setting him up as the next formidable adversary to the new queen — and the latest focus of the fandom’s memes.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
  • The photograph of the queen with the trophy in the hands of the English defender, preserved by the Royal Collection Trust, remains one of the most famous images in the history of world soccer.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026
Definition of queen
Noun
  • Watching elephants emerge from the morning mist, seeing a rhino with a calf by its side, or hearing a lion’s roar reverberate at sunset, remain some of Africa's greatest travel experiences.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Park attendance gets a lot of attention because Disney’s experiences sector — which includes the parks, cruise line and merchandise sales — brings in the lion’s share of the company’s operating income.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of lion
Noun
  • San Luis Obispo county also boasts Hearst Castle, a state park once the mansion of the publishing magnate.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Real estate magnate Lee Miglin was discovered slain on May 4, 1997, in the garage of his Gold Coast home.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of magnate

Browse Nearby Words

Kafkaesque
kahuna
kahunas
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Cite this Entry

“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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