upstart

1 of 2

verb

up·​start ˌəp-ˈstärt 

upstarted; upstarting; upstarts

intransitive verb

: to jump up (as to one's feet) suddenly

upstart

2 of 2

noun

up·​start ˈəp-ˌstärt 

1

: one that has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power) : parvenu

especially : one that claims more personal importance than is warranted

2

: a start-up enterprise

upstart

ˈəp-ˈstärt 

adjective

Synonyms

Noun

• arriviste
• nouveau riche
• parvenu

Examples of upstart in a Sentence

Noun

a young upstart from Harvard who thinks he knows more than the boss

having made their money in oil decades ago, they consider these billionaire dot-commers mere upstarts

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Season 2 sees the band wrestle with the trappings of micro-fame: Gen Z upstarts are stealing their schtick, industry insiders are circling, there’s a constant hum of social media commentary in the background, and the pressure to earn money just keeps mounting. —Judy Berman, TIME, 30 May 2024

Founded in 1980, Express has struggled in recent years to compete with fast-fashion upstarts like Zara and adapt to the post-pandemic shift away from office wear to more casual attire. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2024

And its theater-kid earnestness and sharp-tongued lyrics are reminiscent of another pop upstart who works with Nigro: Olivia Rodrigo. —Shaad D’souza, New York Times, 22 May 2024

The nonprofit insurer, which brings in $20 billion in annual revenue, replaced its existing pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) with healthcare upstarts including Amazon Pharmacy for drug delivery and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company to provide affordable drugs. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Well, 21 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

upstart

noun

up·​start

ˈəp-ˌstärt

: a person who has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power)

especially : one who makes a great show of success