honcho
noun
hon·cho ˈhän-(ˌ)chō 
plural honchos
: boss, big shot
also : hotshot sense 1
Did you know?
A relic of the large US presence in Japan in the years following World War II, the word honcho comes from the Japanese word hanchō meaning “leader of the squad, section, group.” We are uncertain of the exact route by which honcho found its way into American military argot in the mid-1950s, though it is known that the Japanese applied hanchō to British or Australian officers in charge of work parties in prisoner-of-war camps. By the 1960s, the word had become part of colloquial American jargon.
Synonyms
- big
- big boy
- big cheese
- big gun
- big leaguer
- big shot
- big wheel
- big-timer
- bigfoot
- biggie
- bigwig
- fat cat
- heavy
- heavy hitter
- heavyweight
- high-muck-a-muck
- high-muckety-muck
- kahuna
- kingfish
- kingpin
- major leaguer
- muckety-muck
- muck-a-muck
- mucky-muck
- nabob
- nawab
- nibs
- nob [chiefly British]
- pooh-bah
- poo-bah
- wheel
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the office was all abuzz because some honchos from corporate headquarters were coming for a visit he's definitely the head honcho in that company
Recent Examples on the Web Produced in association with SNL honcho Lorne Michaels and veteran stage producer Bill Damaschke, the show will be presented in association with The Shed. 
Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 In one military honcho’s household, the maid is spying on the general and the cook, while the cook is spying on the general and the maid. Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 Frank, who appears to be the head honcho in Victory. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 July 2022 The Front Man is the Squid Game's head honcho, the enigmatic leader in charge of operating the games and monitoring as things unfold. Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 21 July 2022 Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige is bound to bring actors, filmmakers and some big surprises at the first in-person Comic-Con in three years. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 23 July 2022 Ryan Gosling plays the titular Gray Man, a kind of secret superspy who a CIA head honcho tasks another sadistic superspy with eliminating. Andy Meek, BGR, 23 July 2022 Maybe Jones and Marks can get on the phone with Utah honcho Danny Ainge? Greg Moore, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 After five years with Accenture, Ball joined former Fox Studios honcho Peter Chernin’s Otter Entertainment, producer of the Planet of the Apes movies and The New Girl tv series. Charlie Fink, Forbes, 6 July 2022 See More
Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 In one military honcho’s household, the maid is spying on the general and the cook, while the cook is spying on the general and the maid. Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 Frank, who appears to be the head honcho in Victory. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 July 2022 The Front Man is the Squid Game's head honcho, the enigmatic leader in charge of operating the games and monitoring as things unfold. Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 21 July 2022 Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige is bound to bring actors, filmmakers and some big surprises at the first in-person Comic-Con in three years. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 23 July 2022 Ryan Gosling plays the titular Gray Man, a kind of secret superspy who a CIA head honcho tasks another sadistic superspy with eliminating. Andy Meek, BGR, 23 July 2022 Maybe Jones and Marks can get on the phone with Utah honcho Danny Ainge? Greg Moore, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 After five years with Accenture, Ball joined former Fox Studios honcho Peter Chernin’s Otter Entertainment, producer of the Planet of the Apes movies and The New Girl tv series. Charlie Fink, Forbes, 6 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Japanese hanchō squad leader, from han squad + chō head, chief
First Known Use
1945, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing honcho
honcho
noun
1
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group the office was all abuzz because some honchos from corporate headquarters were coming for a visit Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- heavyweight
- big
- heavy
- bigwig
- magnate
- tycoon
- king
- lion
- kingpin
- queen
- nabob
- mucky-muck
- baron
- czar
- biggie
- kahuna
- pooh-bah
- muckety-muck
- prince
- mogul
- big shot
- nawab
- major leaguer
- big leaguer
- big gun
- big boy
- nob
- bigfoot
- heavy hitter
- big wheel
- wheel
- kingfish
- nibs
- high-muckety-muck
- muck-a-muck
- big cheese
- princess
- fat cat
- poo-bah
- high-muck-a-muck
- big-timer
- tsar
- tzar
- VIP
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nobody
- nothing
- subordinate
- lightweight
- zero
- shrimp
- nonentity
- whippersnapper
- underling
- twerp
- zilch
- inferior
- mediocrity
- obscurity
2
as in boss
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do he's definitely the head honcho in that company Synonyms & Similar Words
- boss
- leader
- chief
- foreman
- director
- manager
- captain
- master
- head
- commander
- lord
- administrator
- kingpin
- executive
- overseer
- supervisor
- headman
- jefe
- superintendent
- president
- helmsman
- taskmaster
- boss man
- governor
- principal
- general
- bigwig
- steward
- magnate
- overlord
- mogul
- czar
- mistress
- directress
- king
- ruler
- leadman
- skipper
- baron
- superior
- potentate
- employer
- higher-up
- dominator
- figurehead
- hierarch
- prince
- sovereign
- coleader
- straw boss
- standard-bearer
- big gun
- top gun
- micromanager
- gaffer
- cohead
- ganger
- top dog
- big cheese
- tsar
- sovran
- tzar
- subchief
- subdirector
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- subordinate
- dependent
- junior
- secondary
- subject
- underling
- inferior
- loranthi
- Loranthus
- loranthuses
- loranthusses
- lorazepam
- Lorca
- lorcha
- lorchas
- lorcheles
- lorchels
- lord
- lord (it over)
- lord admiral
- lord advocate
- lord almoner
- Lord Baltimore cake
- lord bird
- lord chamberlain
- lord chamberlain of the household
- lord chancellor
- lord chief justice of England
- lord clerk register
- lord commissioner
- lord commissioner of admiralty
- lord commissioner of the treasury