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

At 14 years old, Candy Crush is a grizzled veteran, a heritage brand up against a thousand young upstarts. —Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 15 June 2026

Or could an upstart that prioritizes love and mercy, say, over dominion lure away their customers? —Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

The Bourbon Boom of the 2010s saw a proliferation of small whiskey upstarts. —David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

But other brands caught on to GoPro's game, and upstarts like the DJI Osmo Action 6 and the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 come with larger sensors and lower prices than the Hero13 Black. —Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 11 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