upstart

American  

[uhp-stahrt, uhp-stahrt] / ˈʌpˌstɑrt, ʌpˈstɑrt /

noun

1. a person who has risen suddenly from a humble position to wealth, power, or a position of consequence.

2. a presumptuous and objectionable person who has so risen; parvenu.

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adjective

1. being, resembling, or characteristic of an upstart.

verb (used without object)

• upstarts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• upstarted,
  past participle,  past
• upstarting
  present participle

1. to spring into existence or into view.

2. to start up; spring up, as to one's feet.

verb (used with object)

• upstarts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• upstarted,
  past participle,  past
• upstarting
  present participle

1. to cause to start up.

upstart British  

noun

1. 1. a person, group, etc, that has risen suddenly to a position of power or wealth

   2. ( as modifier )

      an upstart tyrant

      an upstart family

2. 1. an arrogant or presumptuous person

   2. ( as modifier )

      his upstart ambition

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verb

1. archaic (intr) to start up, as in surprise, etc

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• upstartness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• upstarting
  present
• upstarted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• upstart
  simple
• upstarts
  simple
• have upstarted
  perfect
• has upstarted
  perfect
• am upstarting
  progressive
• are upstarting
  progressive
• is upstarting
  progressive
• have been upstarting
  perfect progressive
• has been upstarting
  perfect progressive

Past

• upstarted
  simple
• had upstarted
  perfect
• was upstarting
  progressive
• were upstarting
  progressive
• had been upstarting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will upstart
  simple
• will have upstarted
  perfect
• will be upstarting
  progressive
• will have been upstarting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of upstart

1275–1325; Middle English (v.); see up-, start

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Explanation

An upstart is someone who's cocky and arrogant, and who doesn't show much respect for other people. There are many ways of starting up trouble — one is by being an upstart. Upstarts are people who are full of themselves and dismissive of others. Often, an upstart is a young person or newcomer. A new employee who acts like he knows more than everyone else is an upstart. An arrogant rookie on a sports team is an upstart. In the 1500s, upstart and start-up were both used to mean the same thing, "one newly risen in importance."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

upstart upstarts upstarted upstarting

We are a culture enamored of the child prodigy, the precocious upstart, the tender sprouting genius.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

There’s an ongoing desperate scramble to find available AI chips and data-center infrastructure from cloud providers, neoclouds and a number of upstart marketplaces offering quick access to computing power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Zuckerberg’s evolution from upstart in sandals to business leader in gold chains, was not what made Sorkin want to follow-up the movie that won him an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil says a lead investor has been secured to keep the upstart tour afloat, and the golfers will be majority equity holders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Kleptocracies with little public support run the risk of being overthrown, either by downtrodden commoners or by upstart would-be replacement kleptocrats seeking public support by promising a higher ratio of services rendered to fruits stolen.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

The biggest AI-model developers could themselves be disrupted by upstarts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

As high-school math students gear up to buy the newest version of Texas Instruments’ TI-84 graphic calculator, cheaper upstarts are trying to break the company’s decades-old grip on the market.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Karp’s I’m-mad-as-hell-and-I’m-not-going-to-take-it-anymore moment is perhaps the best illustration yet of the battle brewing between the tech establishment and the AI upstarts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

The design-software company has struggled to convince investors that its pricing model and artificial-intelligence offerings are enough to compete with cheaper upstarts, and Bank of America’s Tal Liani isn’t optimistic that sentiment will change.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Because the least valued oil leases were offered first, the barons usually lingered in the back, leaving the initial bidding to upstarts.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

In an industry where guerrilla tactics pay off, Kahn upstarted the upstarts.

From Time Magazine Archive

And the hard rocks upstarted From the sand make the couch where he lies, Thy Krishna, sad-hearted.

From Indian Poetry Containing "The Indian Song of Songs," from the Sanskrit of the Gîta Govinda of Jayadeva, Two books from "The Iliad Of India" (Mahábhárata), "Proverbial Wisdom" from the Shlokas of the Hitopadesa, and other Oriental Poems. by Sir Edwin Arnold

Roused at one call, upstarted from one bed, Press’d in one crowd, appall’d with one amaze, He turns them o’er, Eternity! to thee.

From Young's Night Thoughts With Life, Critical Dissertation and Explanatory Notes by Edward Young

After this fashion the Moslems ceased not dashing forwards, one after one, and the Franks to unhorse them and take them captive, till day departed and the night with darkness upstarted.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 by Sir Richard Francis Burton

Instantly upstarted Lyubim Tsarevich, put on his armour, and leaped upon his steed.

From The Russian Garland being Russian Folk Tales by J. R. de Rosciszewski

Nanny was the first to whom the ghost paid its respects, in a series of blood-curdling groans that "caused the upstarting of her hair, and made her ears prick forth at an unusual rate."

From Historic Ghosts and Ghost Hunters by H. Addington (Henry Addington) Bruce

No; one of the firemen remained to watch over it, and guard against the upstarting of any sneaking spark that might have managed to conceal itself.

From Fighting the Flames by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

Iris, sudden at the gate Appear'd; they, at the sight upstarting all,255 Invited each the Goddess to himself.

From The Iliad of Homer Translated into English Blank Verse by William Cowper by William Cowper

Presently that clownish person, upstarting, desired that adventure: whereat the Queene much wondering, and the lady much gainesaying, yet he earnestly importuned his desire.

From Prefaces and Prologues to Famous Books with Introductions, Notes and Illustrations by Charles William Eliot

Hand-clappings, cheers, a stirring of the crowd, and the upstarting of the brass band climaxed the rhetorical peroration, and Elsa glanced anxiously over her shoulder.

From The King of Arcadia by Francis Lynde

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