Big-headed means thinking too highly of yourself. It describes someone who starts boasting and looking down on others after a success. The word is informal and disapproving.
When would you say big-headed?
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be/get big-headed (about + thing); don't get big-headed; a bighead
- Winning the school prize made Tom a bit big-headed, and he kept mentioning it.
- She's the best player on the team, but she never gets big-headed about it.
- Don't get big-headed just because your boss praised one of your reports.
What changed
First versionAfter his promotion he raised his nose and stopped having lunch with us.
RevisionAfter his promotion he got big-headed and stopped having lunch with us.
There is no idiom raise one's nose in English, so a native speaker won't understand it. To say that someone has become too proud, use get big-headed. Get here means “become”: he got big-headed.
Big-headed has nothing to do with intelligence: a smart person is clever or bright. The similar word arrogant sounds more serious and suits an essay: Some politicians become arrogant after years in power. The noun is a bighead: Don't be such a bighead.
Your turn
Since his video went viral, Max talks only about himself and ignores his old friends. He's become really ___.
Show the answer
big-headed — Max boasts and ignores his old friends, so he has become big-headed. Level-headed means calm and sensible, which is praise, while the context is clearly disapproving.
Describe someone you know, or a film character, who became big-headed after a success. Say what they achieved and how their behaviour changed.
After his first novel became a bestseller, my old classmate got big-headed and stopped replying to our group chat.
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