nabob

noun

ˈnā-ˌbäb How to pronounce nabob (audio)
Definition of nabobnext
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group dressed conservatively so as to make a good impression with the nabobs on the co-op's board

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nabob But all the nattering nabobs of negativism who’d normally have been concentrating on Maura’s catastrophic first term had to devote at least a little attention to recounting one of the Wu Klux Klan’s more embarrassing moments of 2025. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026 Back then, white scholars saw history through the eyes of society’s nabobs, kings and presidents. — Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025 Nattering nabobs of non-mainstream media might call it assault by beverage. — Pat Beall, Orlando Sentinel, 14 July 2024 The Gold Coast once held the highest concentrations of American wealth, and today, the area remains an upscale part of Long Island, with many of those centuries-old homes of Gilded Age nabobs still intact. — Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Chattering nabobs of negativity have highlighted that 66 Chinese companies are being removed from indices. — Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nabob
  1. heavyweight
  2. heavy
  3. magnate
  4. big
  5. nawab
  6. king
  7. tycoon
  8. lion
Noun
  • Few Brazilian political heavyweights were in attendance, in another sign of his troubles forming an alliance against Lula ahead of the October election.
    — Mauricio Savarese, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
  • Few Brazilian political heavyweights were in attendance, in another sign of his troubles forming an alliance against Lula ahead of the October election .
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • Soon after Rhaenyra executes Otto Hightower, who was once mastermind of that family’s schemes, Ormund steps up to be the faction’s new heavy.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
  • Shares of Meta are flat on the year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 is up 18%.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • But the great-grandson became wealthy in his own right as a magnate and pioneer in the New York hotel industry.
    — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Miriam Adelson, the widow of the Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, and Diane Hendricks, a major conservative donor in Wisconsin, each gave $25 million.
    — Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of magnate
Noun
  • Plus, if Seattle wants to move Magbegor to create space for the young bigs, then other teams will know the Storm are doing so from a position of weakness.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Data show those players have about an 11% chance to reach the bigs (compared to about 81% for those picked in the first round).
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of big
Noun
  • The manuscript was acquired by Asaf-ud-Daula, nawab of Awadh, and was presented to King George III in 1798.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The lights dim, and a hush falls over the crowd, as the last nawab of Oudh strides onto the stage at Palo Alto’s Cubberley Theater.
    — Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
Definition of nawab
Noun
  • The turnaround shocked even heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, whose face ringside was caught by TV cameras.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The reunion was instead moved to Highgrove House, the king's country residence in Gloucestershire, England.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 25 July 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • That has created mounting public resistance as tech companies concentrate historic levels of wealth in the hands of a select group of tycoons.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • Harper—whom David and Victoria welcomed on July 10, 2011—has reportedly had her sights set on becoming a future tycoon after being inspired by her mom’s reinvention as a fashion and beauty figure in the industry.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 22 July 2026
Definition of tycoon
Noun
  • Anchored by Valdez himself, now in his 80s and filling the camera frame like a grandfatherly lion, the film supplements his vivid biographical details with rich archival footage and testimonials from family members, collaborators and peers.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • Natural Selection’s new-build camp Tawana is set amid Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve, some 1,900 square miles of grassland and flood plain teeming with antelope and elephants, lions and hippos.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
Definition of lion

Browse Nearby Words

nabes
nabob
nabobs
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Nabob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nabob. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nabob

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nabob

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All