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
• 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

Since the start of the fintech industry, upstarts have needed access to consumers’ bank data to perform basic functions like transferring money and making budgeting recommendations. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025

Investors pumped money into the riskiest assets, lifting money-losing tech upstarts to astronomical valuations. —Ari Levy, CNBC, 18 July 2025

And while some stray upstarts have tried to revive the stereoscopic gaming dream in the years since, the idea seemed destined to be a footnote in gaming tech history. —Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025

The political upstart will now take on New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is Black, and running as an independent. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 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