Thesaurus results for PARVENU

parvenu

noun

ˈpär-və-ˌnü

Definition of parvenu

as in arriviste

one who has recently acquired wealth and social position the kind of trophy house that a parvenu buys to prove to people, and to himself, that he has indeed arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of parvenu Spurrier, who predominantly sold French vintages, wasn’t expecting anything other than a trouncing for the parvenu. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026 Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education. — Saritha Rai, Fortune, 29 July 2019 Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat. — Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for parvenu

Noun

And yet, the digital arrivistes could only gain so much traction with a broader customer base and needed a boost from tie-ins with old-school counterparts.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Certainly there’s a long and distinguished tradition of associating Jewish arrivistes with entrepreneurialism, avarice, and clannishness.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Definition of arriviste

Noun

The ecommerce upstart, which quickly outstripped legacy rivals like H&M and Zara in online apparel sales during the pandemic, saw its New York, then London, listing aspirations unravel amid mounting regulatory and political scrutiny.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
On one side, existing chip competitors and a growing group of upstarts are both vying for a bigger share of the market.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of upstart

Noun

And all of this comes on the heels of the glitzy opening of the Six Senses Crans-Montana ski-in, ski-out resort, and the nouveau riche crowd that comes with it.

— Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 4 May 2026
Vandelli thinks Stilley is nouveau riche; Stilley thinks Vandelli is a bully.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 May 2026

Definition of nouveau riche

Noun

Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
The goal, according to the museum, is to tell the story of Buffett not simply as a musician, but as a sailor, pilot, author, entrepreneur, adventurer, philanthropist and storyteller.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of adventurer

Browse Nearby Words

parures

parvenu

parvenus

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Parvenu.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parvenu. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of parvenu

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes