Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

big kahuna

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.18 in modern English

Syllables: big kahu-na
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.

Informal

Example Sentences

"You'll have to talk with the big kahuna to get a decision on that."

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian word kahuna (“a shaman or wizard”).

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

big kahunas (plural)

Synonyms

important person big cheese big enchilada bigwig big wheel grand poobah head honcho kingpin muckety muck top banana top dog

Questions

What does big kahuna mean?: A boss, leader, chieftain, or top-ranking person in an organization.
Where does big kahuna come from?: Borrowed from Hawaiian word kahuna (“a shaman or wizard”).

How to pronounce big kahuna

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