Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

be the bigger man

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.70 in modern English

Syllables: be the big-ger -man
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To walk away from a conflict to prevent it from escalating.

Informal

Example Sentences

"Even if it's in retaliation for a roommate disrespecting your room, be the bigger Man and leave his room alone."
"I left 'em in the evidence locker. Someday, he's gonna come apologizing to me and I'll be the bigger man and let him have 'em."
"I remember at a very early age being taught that, when faced with the prospect of fighting, I should always be the bigger man and walk away from it. It's something young boys hear over and over again in their early life. The idea of being the 'bigger man' evokes the belief that those who don't fight are, in fact, superior in their masculinity as they don't have to prove their dominance physically."

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

see conjugation of "be" (irregular)

Phrases

the bigger man walks away from a fight

Frequently Paired Words

the bigger man walks away from a fight

Synonyms

to be above

Questions

What does be the bigger man mean?: To walk away from a conflict to prevent it from escalating.

How to pronounce be the bigger man

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