Meaning & use
too big for britches
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformaldisapproving
Behaving as if you are more important or more deserving than you really are.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, get, or act, and usually with a possessive word: too big for his britches.
Patterns
- be too big for your britches
- get too big for your britches
- act too big for your britches
After one good review, he got too big for his britches and stopped listening to advice.
She told the new manager not to be too big for his britches in front of the team.
They were a small company that suddenly acted too big for its britches and lost customers.
phraseidiominformal
Literally wearing trousers that are larger than the right size.
Grammar: This literal use is rare and usually clear from context; the figurative meaning is far more common.
Patterns
- be too big for someone's britches
The hand-me-down jeans were too big for his britches, so he wore a belt.
These are too big for my britches, but I'll grow into them.
Common combinations
- get too big for your britches
- Don't get too big for your britches just because you won once.
- act too big for your britches
- He started acting too big for his britches after the promotion.
- a bit too big for your britches
- The rookie is a bit too big for his britches.
- too big for his britches
- The coach said the young player was too big for his britches.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arrogant
- A direct adjective for someone who thinks they are better than others; the idiom is more informal and often sounds like a mild warning.
- cocky
- Informal and close in tone, but cocky stresses bold self-confidence rather than a false sense of importance.
- uppity
- Similar in meaning but can sound dated or offensive when applied to people, so use it with care.
Opposites
Commonly confused: too big for britches or too big for your boots? too big for britches or big for your age?
too big for britches vs too big for your boots
The British version of the same idea; it means the same thing but is more common in the UK than in the US.
too big for britches vs big for your age
This simply describes physical size and carries no criticism, unlike the idiom.
Practice
The intern has only been here a month, but she's already acting ___ her britches.
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is 'too big for your britches', so 'for' is required. 'Too big to' would need a following verb, as in 'too big to fail', and 'so big for' breaks the fixed wording.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “too big for britches”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.