parvenue

British

/ ˈpɑːvəˌnjuː /

noun

a woman who, having risen socially or economically, is considered to be an upstart or to lack the appropriate refinement for her new position

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

of or characteristic of a parvenue

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of parvenue

C19: see _parvenu

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On the other, Kim got away lightly in the parvenue stakes.

From The Guardian • Oct. 6, 2016

Normcore loathes the flashy, the parvenue, the nouveau riche, and everything else we hold dear.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2014

Velvet sleeves concealing jewel-encrusted daggers, scheming eunuchs with networks of spies, parvenue commoners outwitting the supercilious aristos and totally, utterly ruthless power plays — what’s not to love?

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2012

The resignation of the charismatic and experienced politician leaves The Left, a hugely successful parvenue among German political parties, with a leadership vacuum.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2010

He could see Olive's face flush under the selfish rudeness of the parvenue, but the girl, repressing her impulse to reply heatedly, remained silent.

From The Wireless Officer by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023