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 The Oscar-winning director told The New York Times that she was initially set to develop the project as a five-hour limited series but the streamer tightened its budget because executives didn't like its main character, a young social climber named Undine Spragg. EW.com, 28 Oct. 2023 Like Halston, his origin story involves a pitiful mother; Jessica Lange is pure camp as Truman’s withholding mom, a social climber who failed to penetrate the very same Manhattan circles that would welcome her son. TIME, 31 Jan. 2024 The rituals associated with the horse race in Louisville — including sipping mint juleps while wearing opulent attire — are irresistible for many social climbers. Bill Brownlee, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 In the mid aughts, the British tabloids frequently painted the Middletons as advantageous social climbers. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2023 So The Crown posits that the relationship was orchestrated by Kate’s mother Carole (Eve Best), a social climber who spent years scheming to throw her daughter in the prince’s path. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2023 The papers also painted Carole as an advantageous social climber. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2023 The news that Sofia Coppola was adapting Wharton’s 1913 portrait of a social climber, The Custom of the Country, for Apple TV+ was thrilling, until the project was abandoned. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 2 Dec. 2023 The 2018 show is based on the 1848 novel of the same name and follows Becky Sharp (Cooke), a clever social climber with a knack for charming men. Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023

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 19 Mar. 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

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