English

Noun

big fish in a small pond ‎(plural big fish in small ponds)

1. (idiomatic) One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or organization.

   Dr. Jones could get a professorship at an Ivy League university, but he enjoys being a big fish in a small pond too much to ever leave Hannover College.

Related terms

• small fish in a big pond

Translations