| Library / English Dictionary |
PARVENU
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
Synonyms:
arriviste; nouveau-riche; parvenu; upstart
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("parvenu" is a kind of...):
disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "parvenu"):
climber; social climber (someone seeking social prominence by obsequious behavior)
junior (term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male)
Derivation:
parvenu (characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Of or characteristic of a parvenu
Synonyms:
parvenu; parvenue
Classified under:
Similar:
new (not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
Synonyms:
nouveau-riche; parvenu; parvenue; upstart
Classified under:
Similar:
pretentious (making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction)
Derivation:
parvenu (a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class)
