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 of upstart

Noun

• arriviste
• parvenu
• adventurer
• nouveau riche

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

To founders, Mammoth gives its pitch as an owner that offers independence and autonomy, with the infrastructure and corporate support that can introduce upstarts to big retailers like Target. —Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026

In addition to the upstarts, this round features big-name programs like North Carolina, Georgia, Texas and USC. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 5 June 2026

Maybe a Senegal or a Croatia will have a bit of a run, but an upstart reaching even the quarterfinals would be a shock. —Greg Cote june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

Still, Wall Street remains unconvinced this will be enough to prevent a loss of market share to AI-native products and upstarts. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for upstart

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• art

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