social climber

American  

noun

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

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social climber British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• social climbing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of social climber

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

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

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

From Slate • May 4, 2023

Coon plays Bertha Russell, a relentless and monomaniacal social climber who, a century later, could have been an especially coldblooded CEO of a Fortune 500 firm.

From Washington Post • Jan. 23, 2022

Another featured an unflattering interview with Ms. Markle’s half sister, Samantha, who described Ms. Markle as an ambitious, callous social climber who all but ditched her family when she became famous.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2021

Or was she an overly forward social climber?

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock