Idiom
big fish in a small pond
Meaning
One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He is a big fish in a small pond in his hometown.”
“She was a big fish in a small pond at her local company, but she struggled when she moved to a global firm.”
“The professor preferred being a big fish in a small pond at his rural college rather than competing for status at a prestigious university.”
Examples
simple
“He is a big fish in a small pond in his hometown.”
contextual
“She was a big fish in a small pond at her local company, but she struggled when she moved to a global firm.”
complex
“The professor preferred being a big fish in a small pond at his rural college rather than competing for status at a prestigious university.”
Key words
Related idioms
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