Upstarts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who recently acquired wealth or status, often perceived as arrogant or presumptuous
2. Newcomers in a particular field who rapidly gain prominence or influence, sometimes causing resentment
3. Those who rise quickly in social or economic standing, usually seen as lacking the grace or sophistication of established members

Etymology: "Upstarts" is the plural of "upstart", and the noun meaning a person who has risen suddenly from a low position to wealth or importance comes from a simple combination. The word began in Middle English as "upstarten" or "upsterten", built from "up" and "start", so the image is literal: someone who springs up quickly, as if from a crouch or a bed. The sense of the verb "start" that matters here is the older one of moving or leaping suddenly, which is why the compound describes a rapid, almost startled rise rather than a gradual climb. The noun then took on a social edge, applied to people whose new wealth or status was seen as unearned or unseemly by those who had been established longer.

Synonyms: newcomers, arrogants, rising stars

Antonyms: established, veterans