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
  • Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, and other tech heavyweights have collaborated to sketch a new electrical architecture for them, with a different kind of transformer facing the grid, and a small industry has formed to build it.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • He’s held mitts for world champions, for Olympic heavyweights, and for too many professionals to count in 30-something years of boxing.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • Shooters have thrived in Campbell’s spacing due to how much attention point guards and bigs generate off the pick-and-roll.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Go rebound the basketball, go protect the rim, be a big big for us.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of big
Noun
  • Of course, the Nasdaq-100 or a similar tech-heavy index, isn’t guaranteed to deliver 21% returns each year for a decade going forward.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • These days her Halloween costumes are often elaborate and prosthetic-heavy.
    — Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • Crowning yourself king of the hyper-SUV world requires more than just a legendary badge.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The coast could be particularly hammered if the exceptionally high king tides coincide with strong winter storms.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • Up there like the queen of it all is this big platelike moon with a sliver out of it at the three-o’clock position.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • This earlier Russell work did not include acid queens, pinball wizards, or teenage-wasteland messiahs.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of queen
Noun
  • The couple was involved in transactions that saw American black bear gallbladders and cougar bones being smuggled into Vietnam, as well as black and white rhinoceros horns, lion teeth and a tiger pelt being illegally imported to Oregon.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the bankruptcy, seven sea lions were donated to Sea Lion Splash.
    — Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of lion
Noun
  • French jewelry maison Boucheron was founded in 1858 and built a legacy of adorning royals, stars and magnates in jewelry that combines precious, rare gems with equally ingenious designs.
    — Tanya Dukes, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026
  • His short stint on social media wasn't the only personal detail the AI magnate offered in the interview, but one gets the sense that these days, Affleck doesn't have that much to reveal.
    — Roberta Mercuri, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of magnate

Browse Nearby Words

Kafkaesque
kahuna
kahunas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kahuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kahuna. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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