Word: Gentrify
Part of Speech: Verb
Basic Definition: To improve a neighborhood or area by making it nicer and more appealing, often leading to an increase in property prices and making it less affordable for the original residents.
When you use "gentrify," you are usually talking about a place, like a neighborhood. It often implies that the changes are making the area more attractive to middle-class people, while the original residents might be pushed out because they can no longer afford to live there.
In more complex discussions, "gentrification" can also refer to the social and economic processes involved in this change, including debates about cultural displacement and community identity.
While "gentrify" primarily relates to neighborhoods, it can also be used metaphorically to describe any situation where something is made more upscale or refined, sometimes losing its original character.
There aren’t specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly relate to "gentrify", but you might hear phrases like "moving up the social ladder," which means improving one’s social standing, sometimes connected to the process of gentrification.
In summary, "gentrify" means to improve an area, making it more appealing to wealthier people, which can lead to higher costs and the displacement of original residents.