big deal

noun

: something of special importance
what's the big deal?
—sometimes used ironically as an interjection

Examples of big deal in a Sentence

The party was a big deal. The cost didn't seem like much to me, but I know it was a big deal for many people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The New York Liberty and the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets have the same owners and share the same arena, so no big deal. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026 That’d be a big deal on its own — a rivalry game between two Albany programs that dates back to 1970 — but this year, a region championship will be on the line. — Mcclain Baxley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026 Procrastinating every once in a while might not seem like a big deal. — Alexandra Tirado Oropeza, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026 Because the thing was when Paul left in 1985, part of the settlement agreement with Paul was that the name Jefferson Starship would be retired forever because that was a big deal for him. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for big deal

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of big deal was in 1915

Rhymes for big deal

See All Rhymes for big deal

Browse Nearby Words

big data
big deal
Big Dick
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Big deal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20deal. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All