up-and-coming
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of up-and-coming
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50
Explanation
If someone is up-and-coming, they're verging on being really successful or famous. An up-and-coming rock band is just starting to be popular and beginning to draw crowds at their shows. If you're an up-and-coming magician, you might be a little bit new to doing magic tricks, but you work hard at it and are actually pretty good. Local fans might be starting to mention your name when someone's looking for a birthday party entertainer: "Have you seen that amazing up-and-coming magician who pulls rabbits out of her hat and then turns them into bouquets of flowers?"
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.
Andreessen Horowitz has a message for up-and-coming tech talent: Don’t drop out of school to start a company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
A lot of the up-and-coming artists that I deal with, they don’t have a 9 to 5, they DJ three nights a week at different places.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
But in a post-Hoosiers world, the Cowboys believe an up-and-coming coach and roster overhaul might actually work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Silent filmmaking has even found its place among up-and-coming directors.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
There was Bill Corso, a sophomore like us and the up-and-coming star quarterback.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
