big brother
big brother — noun
1. your brother who is older than you
your brother who is older than you
Amir's big brother taught him how to ride a bicycle last summer.
Keiko walks to school every morning with her big brother.
Whenever the lights went out, Dmitri's big brother told the scariest stories.
Oluwaseun gave his big brother a drawing he made at nursery.
Priya's big brother let her borrow his guitar for the school concert.
- older brother
more formal; 'big brother' is warmer and more common in everyday speech
- little brother
a brother who is younger than you
2. a male volunteer who spends regular time with a boy, providing friendship, guida
a male volunteer who spends regular time with a boy, providing friendship, guidance, and a positive example to follow
Ingrid signed her son up for a big brother programme at the youth centre.
Santiago has been a big brother to Mateo for nearly three years now.
big brother to [name] — mentorship pairing structure
The charity matched Jamal with a big brother who loved football and chess.
Lin's big brother from the mentoring scheme took him go-karting every month.
Aisha became a volunteer after seeing how much a big brother helped her nephew.
- mentor
broader term for any trusted guide; 'big brother' is specifically a male mentor for a boy in a one-to-one programme
用法筆記
Often capitalized as Big Brother when referring to the formal mentoring organization.
3. a ruler or leader who holds total power and closely controls every part of peopl
a ruler or leader who holds total power and closely controls every part of people's lives, including what they think and say
The dictator styled himself as a caring big brother while silencing all critics.
styled himself as a big brother — ironic use for authoritarian figures
Mei's grandmother whispered that the chairman was just a big brother with a smile.
Posters across the city showed the president as a big brother watching over every family.
Diego fled the country after refusing to call the general 'Big Brother' on live TV.
To question the big brother's decisions was to invite a visit from the secret police.
用法筆記
From George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, where 'Big Brother' is the unseen dictator whose face appears on posters with the slogan 'Big Brother is watching you.'
4. a government or large organization that watches everything people do, takes away
a government or large organization that watches everything people do, takes away their privacy, and controls how they live
Jun covered his laptop camera because it felt like big brother was always watching.
big brother was watching — idiomatic phrase for intrusive surveillance
The new CCTV network made residents worry that big brother had finally arrived.
Naledi deleted her search history, half-joking that big brother might see it.
Protesters carried signs reading 'Say no to big brother' outside the security ministry.
Every phone notification made Tariq wonder if big brother was tracking his movements.
- surveillance state
more formal and technical; 'big brother' carries a darkly humorous, everyday tone
- police state
focuses on law enforcement and violent repression; 'big brother' adds the dimension of psychological manipulation through constant watching
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3: this sense refers to the system of surveillance and control, not to an individual leader. Often used with dark humour or political criticism.