nabob

[ney-bob]

noun

1. any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.

2. Also a person, especially a European, who has made a large fortune in India or another country of the East.

3. nawab.

nabob

/ ˈneɪbɒbərɪ, neɪˈbɒbərɪ, ˈneɪbɒb /

noun

1. informal,  a rich, powerful, or important man

2. (formerly) a European who made a fortune in the Orient, esp in India

3. another name for a nawab

Other Word Forms

• nabobery noun
• nabobism noun
• nabobish adjective
• nabobical adjective
• nabobishly adverb
• nabobically adverb
• nabobship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nabob¹

From the Hindi word nawāb, dating back to 1605–15. See nawab

Word History and Origins

Origin of nabob¹

C17: from Portuguese nababo, from Hindi nawwāb; see _nawab

Example Sentences

His work quickly made him controversial among civic boosters, who dismissed him as a negative nabob who didn’t want the city to thrive.

From Los Angeles Times

"Tata is too shrewd and too shy to be caught gloating about his successes like some territory-grabbing East India Company nabob," the journalist later wrote.

From BBC

This oilman here was not a nabob like Doheny, but his L.A. oil scandal was going on at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times

Blame it on that idiot Donald Trump if you want, but in fact our world's bad craziness predates that nattering nabob of narcissism.

From Salon

The vice president had a reputation for being President Nixon’s attack dog and skewering political opponents as “nattering nabobs of negativism,” “vicars of vacillation” and “pusillanimous pussyfooters.”

From Seattle Times