upstart

[noun, adjective uhp-stahrt; verb uhp-stahrt]

See more synonyms for upstart on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who has risen suddenly from a humble position to wealth, power, or a position of consequence.
a presumptuous and objectionable person who has so risen; parvenu.

adjective

being, resembling, or characteristic of an upstart.

verb (used without object)

to spring into existence or into view.
to start up; spring up, as to one's feet.

verb (used with object)

to cause to start up.

Origin of upstart

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

Related formsup·start·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

name-dropper parvenue

Examples from the Web for upstart

Contemporary Examples

AirAsia, on the other hand, is a relatively new carrier, an upstart in the tradition of Southwest Airlines in the United States.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370
Lennox Samuels
December 29, 2014
If the upstart wins, the Democrats are in play for the first time in a generation.
Travis Childers: The Deep South’s Great Liberal Hope
Ben Jacobs
June 5, 2014
The staid old NFL soon faced competition from the upstart AFL, which, of course, put a team in New York.
New York City Is the Storied Football Capital of the USA
Ben Jacobs
January 26, 2014
Stewart was disdainful of the upstart network, and in the final meeting to sign the contract, would not even look at Ober.
Food Fight! The Seven Biggest Rivalries Inside the Food Network
Thomas Flynn
September 26, 2013
Six months later, the upstart decided he was ready to strike out on his own.
Is Tech Upstart Cullen Dudas the Next Steve Jobs?
Winston Ross
January 10, 2013

Historical Examples

That Francesco was an upstart was no longer a matter of surmise with him.
Love-at-Arms
Raphael Sabatini
Here was this upstart new boy with an air of questioning his authority.
Rodney, the Ranger
John V. Lane
An unedified palate is the irrepressible cloven foot of the upstart.
A Pair of Blue Eyes
Thomas Hardy
Besides, as I said to Francis, you had only to look at this upstart of a Jansoulet to see what he was worth.
The Nabob
Alphonse Daudet
It was by their order that the upstart Duncombe had been put in ward.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for upstart

upstart

noun (ˈʌpˌstɑːt)

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
1. an arrogant or presumptuous person
2. (as modifier)his upstart ambition

verb (ʌpˈstɑːt)

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

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

Word Origin and History for upstart

n.

1550s, "one newly risen in importance or rank, a parvenu," also start-up, from up + start (v.) in the sense of "jump, spring, rise." Cf. the archaic verb upstart "to spring to one's feet," attested from c.1300.

upstart

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Related Words

Examples from the Web for upstart

Contemporary Examples

AirAsia, on the other hand, is a relatively new carrier, an upstart in the tradition of Southwest Airlines in the United States.

If the upstart wins, the Democrats are in play for the first time in a generation.

The staid old NFL soon faced competition from the upstart AFL, which, of course, put a team in New York.

Stewart was disdainful of the upstart network, and in the final meeting to sign the contract, would not even look at Ober.

Six months later, the upstart decided he was ready to strike out on his own.

Historical Examples

That Francesco was an upstart was no longer a matter of surmise with him.

Here was this upstart new boy with an air of questioning his authority.

An unedified palate is the irrepressible cloven foot of the upstart.

Besides, as I said to Francis, you had only to look at this upstart of a Jansoulet to see what he was worth.

It was by their order that the upstart Duncombe had been put in ward.

upstart

Word Origin and History for upstart

n.

Origin of upstart