grand poobah
The term "grand poobah" originated from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera *The Mikado*, where a character held numerous exalted offices. It is now used humorously to describe someone self-important or with inflated titles.
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Definition
C1Colloquial
(humorous, ironic)A person who holds a high-ranking or important position, often with an exaggerated sense of their own importance.
Example
- He acted like the grand poobah of the office, even though his role was quite minor.
- The club's grand poobah presided over the meeting with much pomp and circumstance.
B2Social
(mocking)A leader or head of an organization, typically one who is self-important or pompous.
Example
- Everyone deferred to the grand poobah's opinion, despite his lack of real authority.
- The self-appointed grand poobah of the group always had the final say.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "grand poobah":