upstart

American  

[uhp-stahrt, uhp-stahrt] / ˈʌpˌstɑrt, ʌpˈstɑrt /

noun

1. a person who has risen suddenly from a humble position to wealth, power, or a position of consequence.

2. a presumptuous and objectionable person who has so risen; parvenu.

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adjective

1. being, resembling, or characteristic of an upstart.

verb (used without object)

1. to spring into existence or into view.

2. to start up; spring up, as to one's feet.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to start up.

upstart British  

noun

1. 1. a person, group, etc, that has risen suddenly to a position of power or wealth

   2. ( as modifier )

      an upstart tyrant

      an upstart family

2. 1. an arrogant or presumptuous person

   2. ( as modifier )

      his upstart ambition

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verb

1. archaic (intr) to start up, as in surprise, etc

Other Word Forms

• upstartness noun

Etymology

Origin of upstart

1275–1325; Middle English (v.); up-, start

Explanation

An upstart is someone who's cocky and arrogant, and who doesn't show much respect for other people. There are many ways of starting up trouble — one is by being an upstart. Upstarts are people who are full of themselves and dismissive of others. Often, an upstart is a young person or newcomer. A new employee who acts like he knows more than everyone else is an upstart. An arrogant rookie on a sports team is an upstart. In the 1500s, upstart and start-up were both used to mean the same thing, "one newly risen in importance."

Example Sentences

The upstart party flipped certain districts that had gone to Fidesz in every election since Orbán returned to power in 2010 after an eight-year spell in opposition.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

A young upstart, Péter Magyar, with his new Tisza Party, has galvanized the country, with some polls showing him pulling ahead of Orbán by nearly 15 percentage points.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

The e-commerce upstart went public at a market value of around $430 million, which was less than 0.01% of the S&P 500’s value at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

An upstart competitor would have to gain access to a customer’s data and organize it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

One of the older mice, Sister Clemence, chided Matthias as an upstart.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques