What does "big cheese" mean?

A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

What is a synonym for "big cheese"?

Common synonyms include: big, big deal, big enchilada, big fish, big gun, big shot.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization. dated, idiomatic
"He’ll be meeting with the big cheese first thing tomorrow, to present his proposal."
2
an important influential person wordnet

"He’ll be meeting with the big cheese first thing tomorrow, to present his proposal."

From big + cheese (“wealth, fame, importance”). Earliest use to mean importance from 1910.