VIP

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person whose fame, rank or influence earns them better treatment than ordinary guests or customers.

   Grammar: Plural is VIPs: the VIPs were seated first.

   Patterns

   • a VIP at something
   • treat someone like a VIP

   The airline sent a car to collect the VIPs from the runway.

   Every VIP at the premiere got a reserved seat and a gift bag.

   She felt like a VIP when the hotel manager greeted her by name.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Reserved for or offering special treatment to important or paying guests.

   Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: a VIP lounge, not a lounge that is VIP.

   Patterns

   • VIP access
   • a VIP area

   We bought VIP tickets so we could skip the long queue.

   The club has a VIP room behind a velvet rope.

   Guests with VIP passes were allowed backstage.

Word forms

Common combinations

VIP treatment

The whole family received VIP treatment during their stay.

VIP lounge

We waited in the VIP lounge until boarding began.

VIP guest

A VIP guest was arriving, so the staff cleaned the lobby twice.

VIP ticket

A VIP ticket costs triple the standard price.

VIP access

Members get VIP access to the exhibition a day early.

Synonyms and how they differ

dignitary

Dignitary is more formal and usually means someone of official or high rank, such as a diplomat, rather than anyone given special treatment.

celebrity

A celebrity is famous, whereas a VIP may be important only to the organizers and not famous at all.

bigwig

Bigwig is informal and often slightly mocking, suggesting someone who enjoys their own importance.

Opposites

Word family

important adjective

having great value or influence

importance noun

the quality of mattering a great deal

unimportant adjective

not mattering much

Practice

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

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