big time

See also: bigtime and big-time

English

Alternative forms

• big-time, bigtime

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

big time (plural big times)

1. The highest, or most prestigious level in any field, especially in entertainment.

   Synonyms: big league, major league

   • 2012, Ben Smith, Leeds United 2-1 Everton‎^[1]:

     This was a rare whiff of the big-time for a club whose staple diet became top-flight football for so long - the glamour was in short supply, however. Thousands of empty seats and the driving Yorkshire rain saw to that.

Derived terms

• hit the big time

Adverb

big time (comparative more big time, superlative most big time)

1. (informal) By a large margin; with great significance.
   • 2013 September 18, “Wheel of Fortune contestant loses chance at $1 million after mispronouncing a word”, in Daily Mail:

     A Wheel of Fortune contestant was about to win a shot at the million dollar grand prize when he bumbled his answer and lost out big time.

   • 2015 January 28, Hugo Martin, “American Airlines’ fuel-buying bet pays off in record profit”, in Los Angeles Times:

     “American doesn’t hedge,” said Seth Kaplan, managing partner for the trade publication Airlines Weekly. “So, they have won big time.”

   • 2019 December 6, Kerry Gold, “North Vancouver condo buyers ‘won big time playing the long game’”, in The Globe and Mail (Vancouver):

     North Vancouver condo buyers ‘won big time playing the long game’ [title]

   • 2020 June 22, Alan Swann, “Peterborough United almost missed out on signing star man Ivan Toney, but now they are set to cash in big-time”, in Peterborough Telegraph:

     Peterborough United almost missed out on signing star man Ivan Toney, but now they are set to cash in big-time [title]

   • 2021 January 1, Paul Krugman, “Things Will Get Better. Seriously.”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     But on other fronts there’s a clear case for optimism. Science has come to our rescue, big time, with the miraculously fast development of vaccines against the coronavirus.

Derived terms

• big-timer

Danish

Etymology

English big time

Adverb

big time

1. (postpositive, informal) to a great extent, very
   • 2012, Astrid Heise-Fjeldgren, Kys og kanel 4 - Jagten på Joe, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

     Fordi jeg kastede op big time den aften.

     Because I threw up a lot that evening.

   • 2010, Maria Hirse, Når mad er din fjende, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

     Jeg havde fucket op big time, ...

     I had really fucked up, ...

Usage notes

Often in connection with the verb fucke op.