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.
Silent filmmaking has even found its place among up-and-coming directors.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
If you’re an up-and-coming quarterback, there has to be an extra layer of pressure and expectation if your father played the position at an elite level.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
She says she's been treated like a celebrity at school and in town this week and finds it particularly gratifying when she's congratulated by young, up-and-coming competitors in the sport.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The proximity to the Troubadour also made the restaurant a hangout for up-and-coming names in rock music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
“The most up-and-coming Chinese art and antiques shop in all of Los Angeles.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
