Home Synonyms chief

Synonyms of chief in English:

chief


See US English definition of chief

See UK English definition of chief

See Spanish definition of líder

noun

1‘a Highland chief petitioned her father for her hand’

SYNONYMS
leader, chieftain, head, headman, ruler, overlord, master, commander, suzerain, seigneur, liege, liege lord, potentate
sachem

2‘he is the chief of the US central bank’

SYNONYMS
head, principal, chief executive, executive, president, chair, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, governor, director, administrator, manager, manageress, superintendent, foreman, forewoman, controller, overseer
boss, employer, proprietor
North American chief executive officer, CEO
informal boss man, kingpin, top dog, big cheese, bigwig, skipper
British informal gaffer, guv'nor
North American informal numero uno, Mister Big, honcho, head honcho, padrone, sachem, big white chief, big kahuna, big wheel, high muckamuck
informal, derogatory fat cat

adjective

1‘he had a meeting with the chief rabbi’

SYNONYMS
head, leading, principal, premier, highest, foremost, supreme, grand, superior, arch-
directing, governing
informal number-one
ANTONYMS

subordinate

2‘their chief aim was to remove the invading forces’

SYNONYMS
main, principal, most important, uppermost, primary, prime, first, cardinal, central, key, focal, vital, crucial, essential, pivotal, supreme, predominant, pre-eminent, paramount, overriding, leading, major, ruling, dominant, highest
arch
informal number-one
ANTONYMS

minor