How do you say “A big shot” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is ein hohes Tier, which literally means “a high animal”. English speakers use a big shot to mean an important or powerful person. An informal German label for an influential person. It often creates a little distance from the person’s status. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
ein hohes Tier
/aɪn ˈhoːəs tiːɐ̯/
- Literal meaning
- “a high animal”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Ein hohes Tier” can be a senior official or someone important in a company. It does not describe their physical size.
Saying someone thinks they are “ein hohes Tier” makes the criticism clear. Use a job title if the setting calls for respect or precision.
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.
German
Irgendein hohes Tier von der Plattenfirma kommt zu unserem Auftritt.
English
Since winning one prize, he thinks he’s a big shot.
German
Seit er einen einzigen Preis gewonnen hat, hält er sich für ein hohes Tier.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13