Definition

Adjective: 1. Upstart, presumptuous: Used to describe a person who is perceived as having risen to a higher social or professional position too quickly and who consequently behaves in an arrogant or conceited manner, often without having the traditional background or manners associated with that position. It implies a lack of genuine class or breeding and carries a strong tone of disapproval and scorn.

Usage

This adjective is primarily used as a predicate adjective (following a linking verb like 'is', 'seems', 'acts') to describe a person's character or behavior. It is a derogatory and informal term, most common in British English.

Examples

• He's just a jumped-up little bureaucrat who loves throwing his weight around.
• Don't listen to her; she's nothing but a jumped-up sales assistant pretending to be a manager.
• They acted so jumped-up after winning the lottery, suddenly looking down on all their old friends.

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries connotations of social climbing and pretentiousness. It criticizes not just the rapid rise, but the unattractive attitude that is believed to accompany it.
• It can be used attributively (before a noun) as in "a jumped-up official," which intensifies the derogatory description of the person's role.

Variants and Related Words

• Upstart (n.): A person who has risen suddenly to a position of power or wealth but lacks the appropriate social qualifications. This is a close synonym and the more formal equivalent.
• Parvenu (n.): A person from a humble background who has rapidly gained wealth or power, but is not fully accepted by the established elite. This is a more literary term.
• Nouveau riche (n.): Refers to people who have recently become rich and are perceived as ostentatious or lacking in taste. This focuses on wealth rather than general social/professional status.

Synonyms

• Presumptuous
• Arrogant
• Conceited
• Pretentious
• Social climber (noun form)

Idioms and Phrases

• To get too big for one's boots: This idiom shares a similar meaning, describing someone who becomes arrogant because of their success or position.
  • Ever since he got promoted, he's gotten too big for his boots. (This is similar to calling him 'jumped-up'.)

Adjective

1. (British informal) upstart