social climber

See synonyms for: social climbersocial climbing on Thesaurus.com

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

Origin of social climber

1
First recorded in 1920–25

Other words from social climber

  • social climbing, noun

Words Nearby social climber

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use social climber in a sentence

  • "The only thing I've got against Mrs. Jackson is she's a social climber," Perkins broke in.

    Skinner's Dress Suit | Henry Irving Dodge
  • In London he was a social climber, in spite of his gold; here he was a sole autocrat of the camp.

    The Highgrader | William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for social climber

social climber

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

Derived forms of social climber

  • social climbing, noun

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