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

Nike also faces intensifying competition from upstarts like Hoka and resurgent rivals such as Adidas in the footwear category. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026

Bread Financial works with upstarts like legal AI firm Harvey and AI content platform Jasper. —John Kell, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

Tech companies and artificial intelligence upstarts have unleashed a South Bay leasing surge that has produced the region’s best quarter for office space rental activity since the end of the coronavirus outbreak, a new report has disclosed. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026

With Kevin Durant on board, a pesky upstart like Iowa would be immediate title contenders. —Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 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