First Known Use: 1612
Dictionary
nabob
noun na·bob \ˈnā-ˌbäb\
: a very rich or important person
Full Definition of NABOB
1
: a provincial governor of the Mogul empire in India
2
: a person of great wealth or prominence
See nabob defined for English-language learners
See nabob defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of NABOB
Hindi navāb & Urdu nawāb, from Arabic nuwwāb, plural of nā'ib governor
Related to NABOB
- Synonyms
- big, big boy, big cheese, bigfoot, biggie, big gun, big leaguer, big-timer, big wheel, bigwig, fat cat, heavy, heavy hitter, heavyweight, high-muck-a-muck (or high-muckety-muck), honcho, kahuna, kingfish, kingpin, major leaguer, muckety-muck (also muck-a-muck or mucky-muck), big shot, nawab, nibs, nob [chiefly British], pooh-bah (also poo-bah), wheel
- Antonyms
- lightweight, nobody, nonentity, nothing, shrimp, twerp, whippersnapper, zero, zilch
Other Government and Politics Terms
Learn More About NABOB
Browse
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up nabob? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).