social climber

American  

noun

1. a person who attempts to gain admission into a group with a higher social standing.

---

social climber British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: climber.  a person who seeks advancement to a higher social class, esp by obsequious behaviour

---

Other Word Forms

• social climbing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of social climber

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social climber

Mr. Restall’s Columbus was a man on the make, a social climber who used his marriage in 1479 to Felipa Moniz, the daughter of a minor aristocrat, to further his standing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Maxine is a desperate social climber who will literally climb walls to enter the exclusive Palm Royale country club, a candy-colored oasis of indulgent leisure and unbridled envy.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

He is a vain social climber, easily fooled by his clever, beautiful young wife.

From Slate ● May 4, 2023

To Gloria, Andy did not seem at all like a stereotypical Hill workaholic social climber.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 27, 2021

As Joanne Kaufman reported in the Wall Street journal, Ms. Pittman was known in certain elevated circles more as a social climber than mountain climber.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer