Definition

Noun: A person who habitually mentions the names of famous or influential people, often in a way intended to imply a personal connection or association, in order to impress others.

Usage

The term "name dropper" is used to describe someone whose speech is characterized by the frequent and often irrelevant mention of well-known names. This behavior is generally viewed negatively, as it is seen as an attempt to gain status, credibility, or attention through implied association rather than through one's own merits.

Examples

• She's such a name dropper; in a five-minute conversation, she mentioned having lunch with a senator and getting advice from a movie star.
• Don't be a name dropper. People are more impressed by your own ideas than by who you claim to know.
• His reputation as a name dropper made his colleagues skeptical of his stories about knowing the company's CEO.

Advanced Usage

• The behavior itself is called name-dropping (often hyphenated).
  • His constant name-dropping about tech billionaires became tiresome.
• The act is described with the verb phrase to drop names.
  • He drops names so frequently it's hard to have a genuine conversation.

Variants and Related Words

• Name-dropping (n): The act or practice of mentioning famous names to impress others.
• To name-drop (v): To mention the name of a famous or important person as if one knows them personally.

Synonyms

• Boaster
• Braggart (though this is a more general term for someone who boasts)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To drop names: This is the verbal phrase from which the noun "name dropper" is derived.
  • She has a tendency to drop names whenever she feels insecure in a social setting.

Noun

1. someone who pretends that famous people are his/her friends