social climber

noun

: one who attempts to gain a higher social position or acceptance in fashionable society
social climbing noun

Examples of social climber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Smith starred as Joyce Chilvers, a small-town social climber in postwar Northern England whose hunger to be accepted by the elite locals isn’t helped by her dotty mother nor her underachieving podiatrist husband Gilbert, played by Michael Palin. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2024 Turning Merchant Ivory into eminent Victorians rather than complexly conflicted social climbers actually distances them from us, and that’s merely for Millennial convenience. Armond White, National Review, 4 Sep. 2024 The sprawling period drama chronicles the great conflict between old money elites and new money social climbers in New York's glittering Gilded Age. Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2024 Instead, Wiig takes center stage as Maxine Simmons, an ambitious social climber in the rarefied Palm Beach society. Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for social climber 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'social climber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social climber was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near social climber

Cite this Entry

“Social climber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20climber. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

social climber

noun
: one who attempts to gain a higher social position or be accepted in fashionable society

More from Merriam-Webster on social climber

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!