A "bigwig" with hair extensions.

I previously brought you synonyms for the words “doctor,” “criminal” and “laborer” from my favorite reference book, 1971’s Webster’s New World Thesaurus. I go to the volume once again to look at how the synonyms for “celebrity” have changed between then and now. What most caught my attention is that the book lists the main antonym of “celebrity” as “disgrace.” Today, they’re more commonly synonyms, of course. Here are the top ten most interesting entries:

• Ace
• Big gun
• Bigwig
• Figure
• Lion
• Lioness
• Maecenas
• Magnate
• Man of note
• Worthy

Read other lists.