How do you say “A big shot” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is un gros bonnet, which literally means “a big cap”. English speakers use a big shot to mean an important or powerful person. A familiar French expression for someone powerful or influential. It can sound slightly mocking. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
un gros bonnet
/œ̃ ɡʁo bɔnɛ/
- Literal meaning
- “a big cap”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Un gros bonnet” suggests someone near the top of an organisation or social circle. It can appear in stories about business, politics or crime.
The phrase does not automatically mean criminal. Name the field, as in “un gros bonnet de l’industrie musicale”, if the context needs it.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Some big shot from the record label is coming to our gig.
French
Un gros bonnet de la maison de disques vient à notre concert.
English
Since winning one prize, he thinks he’s a big shot.
French
Depuis qu’il a gagné un seul prix, il se prend pour un gros bonnet.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13