big shot; higher-up; VIP
Colloquial, often slightly playful or ironic term for a person of high status, authority, or importance. Frequently used in the phrase お偉いさん.
I hear the big shots from the company are coming to inspect today.
彼はすっかり偉いさんになった気でいる。
He acts like he's some kind of big shot now.
Standard kanji spelling; the さん suffix is attached to the adjective 偉い.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for stylistic effect or emphasis.
From 偉い (えらい, 'great, important') + honorific suffix さん. The combination creates a colloquial noun referring to an important person.