a big bug
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A person of importance — especially in his own eyes; a swell; a pompous or conceited man. There is an old adjective bug, meaning pompous, proud.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a big bug” mean?
A person of importance — especially in his own eyes; a swell; a pompous or conceited man. There is an old adjective bug, meaning pompous, proud.
Is “a big bug” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.