lion's share

🌎Region: International 📊Difficulty Level:intermediate

💡Meaning

The largest portion of something, often more than is fair or expected.

🕰️Origin

From Aesop’s fable in which the lion claims all the prey as his “share,” so the phrase came to mean the biggest (often unfair) portion.

📝Notes

Usually means “the biggest part,” often with a hint of unfairness, though it can be neutral in business/reporting contexts.

💬Examples

After the merger, the larger company took the lion's share of the profits.
She did most of the research, so she deserved the lion's share of the credit.
The capital city receives the lion's share of government funding each year.
When the pizza arrived, the kids grabbed the lion's share before anyone else sat down.
In the divorce settlement, he kept the lion's share of the assets.

📘Grammar & Usage Notes

Typically used as a noun phrase with possessive: “the lion’s share of + noun.” Can also be “take/get/claim the lion’s share.” Rarely pluralized.

🔗Synonyms

↔️Antonyms