purse-proud
/'pə:spraud/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Proud or arrogant because of your wealth: The term describes a person who feels superior, haughty, or excessively proud solely due to their financial riches, especially when they lack other admirable qualities or distinctions.
Usage
- The word is used as an adjective to describe a person's character or attitude. It is typically used in a critical or disapproving manner to highlight that someone's pride is based only on material wealth.
- It often implies that the person's wealth is their only claim to status, overshadowing a lack of personal merit, talent, or virtue.
Examples
- The purse-proud merchant looked down on his less affluent neighbors.
- Her purse-proud attitude made her very unpopular, as she constantly flaunted her expensive possessions.
- He was so purse-proud that he believed his money could buy him respect and friendship.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used in broader social commentary to critique a culture or class perceived as valuing wealth above all else.
- The novel satirizes the purse-proud aristocracy of the era.
Variants and Related Words
- Wealth-proud: A less common, synonymous construction.
- Proud (adj): Feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction. (Note: "Purse-proud" is a specific, negative subset of this general term).
- Arrogant (adj): Having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance.
- Haughty (adj): Arrogantly superior and disdainful.
Synonyms
- Snobbish
- Ostentatious
- Vain (in the context of wealth)
- Overbearing
Antonyms
- Humble
- Modest
- Unassuming
- Down-to-earth
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Flashing one's cash": To show off one's money in a boastful way, related to the behavior of a purse-proud person.
- "New money": Often used to describe individuals whose recently acquired wealth leads to purse-proud behavior, contrasting with "old money" which may be associated with more discreet wealth.
Adjective
- proud or arrogant because of your wealth (especially in the absence of other distinction)