upstart — English Dictionary

Noun

1. One who has suddenly gained wealth, power, or other prominence, but either has not received social acceptance or has become arrogant or presumptuous.

   Synonyms

   arrivistenouveau richeparvenu

   Examples

   upstarts […]they call in reproach mushrooms

   More examples (3)

   [S]he has no fair pretence of family or blood. She was nobody when he married her, barely the daughter of a gentleman; but ever since her being turned into a Churchill she has out-Churchill’d them all in high and mighty claims: but in herself, I assure you, she is an upstart.”

   But electric vehicles and the batteries that made them run became ensnared in corporate scandals, fraud, and monopolistic corruption that shook the confidence of the nation and inspired automotive upstarts.

   Where the Czech upstart [Lukáš] Rosol, ranked 100 in the world, all but blew [Rafael] Nadal's head off with his blunderbuss in a fifth set of unrivalled intensity on Thursday night, [Julien] Benneteau, a more artful citizen, used a rapier to hurt his vaunted foe before falling just short of a kill. In the end, it was he who staggered from the scene of the fight.

2. The meadow saffron.

Adjective

1. Acting like a parvenu.

2. Self-important and presumptuous.

Verb

1. To rise suddenly, to spring

   Examples

   Th' Elfe therewith astownd, Upstarted lightly from his looser make, And his unready weapons gan in hand to take.

   the beauteous beast Scared by the noise upstarted at our feet

   More examples (1)

   "Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting—

Adjective

1. characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position

   Synonyms

   nouveau-richeparvenuparvenue

Noun

1. an arrogant or presumptuous person

   Broader terms

   unpleasant persondisagreeable person

2. a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class

   Synonyms

   parvenunouveau-richearriviste

   Broader terms

   unpleasant persondisagreeable person

3. a gymnastic exercise performed starting from a position with the legs over the upper body and moving to an erect position by arching the back and swinging the legs out and down while forcing the chest upright

   Synonyms

   kip

   Broader terms

   gymnastic exercise