parvenu

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
adjective characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
adjective of or characteristic of a parvenu

Borrowed from French parvenu, past participle of parvenir, from Latin perveniō (“arrive, reach”). See also parvenue f

It is a most agreeable parvenu. — Modern Prose And Poetry; For Secondary Schools: Edited With Notes, Study Helps, And Reading Lists, Unknown
They have intermarried with parvenus and Americans for generations. — The Yellow Crayon, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim
You make me feel like some horrid literary parvenu." — The Creators: A Comedy, May Sinclair

upstart, nouveau-riche, arriviste

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

From: —

Output

Worksheet Type (multi-select)

Scope

Difficulty

Max questions

0 words Min 50 words / Max 2,000 words