tycoon
teye-KOON
Tycoon (noun) means a very wealthy and powerful businessperson, especially the head of a large company or industry. Example: “The shipping tycoon owned a fleet of over two hundred vessels.”
noun
1
A very wealthy and powerful businessperson, especially the head of a large company or industry.
"The shipping tycoon owned a fleet of over two hundred vessels."
"A property tycoon bought up half the buildings on the street."
2
A type of simulation or management video game where the player builds and runs a business or piece of infrastructure.
"He spent the whole weekend playing a theme-park tycoon game."
How to use tycoon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA hugely successful and influential business figure — or, more casually, a genre of business-building video games.
Common pairings
a business tycoon
a media tycoon
an oil tycoon
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Word forms
- Plural
- tycoons
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The shipping _____ owned a fleet of over two hundred vessels.
Etymology
Borrowed from a Japanese title meaning "great lord," once used for the shogun; English speakers adopted it during the 1800s for powerful business figures.
Class of 1800
tycoon joined the language around 1800.
See the full Class of 1800 →
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for tycoon
See all rhymes for tycoon →Frequently asked questions
What does “tycoon” mean?
The word “tycoon” means a very wealthy and powerful businessperson, especially the head of a large company or industry. In plain terms, a hugely successful and influential business figure — or, more casually, a genre of business-building video games.
How do you pronounce “tycoon”?
“Tycoon” is pronounced teye-KOON (/taɪˈkuːn/ in IPA).
How do you use “tycoon” in a sentence?
Here is “tycoon” used in a sentence: “The shipping tycoon owned a fleet of over two hundred vessels.”
What part of speech is “tycoon”?
“Tycoon” is a noun.
Where does the word “tycoon” come from?
The word “tycoon” dates back to around 1800 and comes from Japanese. Borrowed from a Japanese title meaning "great lord," once used for the shogun; English speakers adopted it during the 1800s for powerful business figures.
Is “tycoon” a common word?
“Tycoon” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “tycoon” have?
“Tycoon” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a very wealthy and powerful businessperson, especially the head of a large company or industry.
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