# bigger fish to fry

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bigger-fish-to-fry
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A much more pressing issue to attend to.

## Examples

- I cannot help you now because I have bigger fish to fry.
- The manager ignored the minor office complaint because he had bigger fish to fry regarding the company budget.
- While the committee debated the minor procedural changes, the director insisted they focus on the budget crisis, as there were clearly bigger fish to fry.

## Origin

An augmentative of other fish to fry.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.