big name

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableinformal

   A famous or important person, or a well-known company, in a particular field.

   Grammar: Countable: she is a big name in sailing; several big names attended.

   Patterns

   • a big name in something
   • big names from something

   She is a big name in children's publishing.

   Several big names from the music industry came to the opening.

   The festival always signs one or two big names to draw the crowds.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nouninformal

   Famous and well known, as in a famous brand or celebrity.

   Grammar: Used before a noun and usually hyphenated: big-name stores, big-name directors.

   Patterns

   • big-name something

   Small shops struggle against big-name brands on the high street.

   The film features several big-name actors.

   He turned down a job at a big-name law firm to work locally.

Word forms

Common combinations

a big name in the industry

He became a big name in the industry before he turned thirty.

big-name brand

I would rather buy a big-name brand than risk a cheap copy.

big-name star

A big-name star will open the show.

sign a big name

The club hopes to sign a big name this summer.

big-name designer

The dress came from a big-name designer.

Synonyms and how they differ

celebrity

It refers only to a famous person, whereas a big name can also be a company or a brand.

heavyweight

It stresses real influence and power, not just fame, so it fits business and politics best.

household name

This means famous with almost everyone, which is a stronger claim than big name.

VIP

It means a person who deserves special treatment at an event, not necessarily a famous one.

Opposites

Word family

name noun

a word someone or something is called

big adjective

large in size, importance or effect

famous adjective

known by many people

Commonly confused: big name or household name?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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