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

Noun

• arriviste
• nouveau riche
• parvenu

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

Back in 2022, e-commerce giant and relative upstart movie studio Amazon promised to spend around $1 billion each year on theatrical releases, a figure that would fund between 12 and 15 films annually. —Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 1 May 2025

There are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of wine glass manufacturers, large and small, heritage and upstart, producing glassware in nearly every corner of the world. —Jordan Michelman, Wired News, 25 Apr. 2025

That creates a huge barrier to entry for upstarts in the space. —Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025

There is the Triple Threat match for the NXT Title featuring the champion Oba Femi, former champion Trick Williams, and young upstart Je’Von Evans. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025

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