World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariespontife
Pronunciation / Transliteration: pɔ̃.tif
"Il se prend pour le grand pontife de l'entreprise."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A person who holds many offices or positions of authority, often simultaneously and with a sense of self-importance.
"He considers himself the grand pooh-bah of the neighborhood association." - 2
A pompous official or a person in high authority who behaves self-importantly.
"Several corporate pooh-bahs arrived in limousines to attend the annual gala."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the character 'Lord High-Everything-Else' named Pooh-Bah in Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera The Mikado. The name itself humorously mimics a pompous exclamation, which subsequently entered the English language to describe a self-important official or someone holding many offices.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Pooh-bah"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Pooh-bah" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
pontife
Transliteration: pɔ̃.tif
"Il se prend pour le grand pontife de l'entreprise."
Wißmerschmier
Transliteration: vɪt.mɐʃˌmiːɐ̯
Script: Wichtigmacher
"Er spielt sich hier als der oberste Wichtigmacher auf."
pezzo grosso
Transliteration: ˈpɛt.tso ˈɡrɔs.so
"Si comporta come un pezzo grosso della politica."
pez gordo
Transliteration: ˈpeθ ˈɣoɾ.ðo
"Llegó rodeado de los peces gordos de la compañía."
medalhão
Transliteration: me.daˈlɐ̃w
"Ele age como um verdadeiro medalhão da alta sociedade."
बड़ा आदमी
Transliteration: bada aadmi
"वह खुद को अपने विभाग का बहुत बड़ा आदमी समझता है।"
大人物
Transliteration: dà rén wù
"他自认为自己是个不可一世的大人物。"
거물
Transliteration: geomul
"그는 회사에서 자신을 거물처럼 행동하게 만든다."
偉ぶる人
Transliteration: eraburu hito
"彼は会社で一番の偉ぶる人として知られている。"
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