big hitter

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformal

   An important or powerful person in a company, sport, or field.

   Grammar: Countable, so you say a big hitter or several big hitters; often used in the plural for a group of influential people.

   Patterns

   • a big hitter in something
   • one of the big hitters
   • the big hitters in an industry

   She is a big hitter in the software world and speaks at most major conferences.

   The bank sent one of its big hitters to handle the deal.

   Several big hitters from the music industry came to the charity show.

2. 2nouncountablesport

   A player who hits the ball very hard, especially in baseball, cricket, or golf.

   Grammar: Used in sports reports; often in the plural when comparing several strong batters.

   Patterns

   • a big hitter for a team
   • the team's big hitters

   Their new big hitter sent the ball over the fence twice.

   The coach brought in a big hitter to strengthen the batting order.

Word forms

Common combinations

a big hitter in the industry

He became a big hitter in the fashion industry.

one of the big hitters

She is one of the big hitters in local politics.

the big hitters on the team

The big hitters on the team scored most of the runs.

a political big hitter

A political big hitter opened the new hospital.

Synonyms and how they differ

heavyweight

Also means an important person, but it sounds slightly more formal and often refers to influence in debate or business.

powerhouse

Suggests great energy and strength, and can describe an organization as well as a person.

star

Focuses on fame and public attention rather than power or influence.

Opposites

Word family

big-hitting adjective

Describing someone or something that has a strong impact or hits hard.

Commonly confused: big hitter or big shot?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “big hitter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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