conspicuous consumption
Wealth on display
Conspicuous consumption is spending money on luxury goods or services primarily to display wealth rather than for practical use.
The term, from economist Thorstein Veblen, describes purchasing meant to signal social status: The mansion was pure conspicuous consumption—they barely used half the rooms.
The concept extends to anything acquired mainly to impress others.
Reputation commanding admiration
- status symbolItem showing rank
- eliteSuperior select group
- exclusiveLimited to one group
- limited editionSmall intentional production run
designer label · haute couture · brand name · trophy · signaling · keeping up with the Joneses · social climbing · one-upmanship
Careless use of resources
- excessSurplus beyond need
- squanderUse up carelessly
- frivolousNot worthy of attention
- superficialLacking depth or substance
shallow · vanity · pretentious · tasteless · vulgar · crass · tacky · garish
Showy, abundant prosperity
- lavishnessExcessive richness or abundance
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
- sumptuousnessExtreme costly elegance
- decadenceMoral decline through excess
indulgence · splendor · plushness · high-end · designer · bespoke · premium · gilt
Abundance of money
- richesAbundant valuable possessions
- fortuneWealth or destiny
- luxury goodsCostly non-essential purchases
- mansionLarge, stately home
yacht · supercar · jewelry · diamonds · Rolex · private jet · penthouse · chauffeur
Excessively eye-catching
- flashyShowy, often tastelessly so
- flauntingOstentatious display of something
- ostentatiousShowily excessive
- gaudyTastelessly ornate
garish · display · spectacle · showiness · flamboyant · loud · brash · theatrical
Desire to gather wealth
- accumulationCollected mass over time
- possessionsThings one owns
- shoppingAcquiring goods at retailers
- buyingObtaining through payment
collecting · retail therapy · hoarding · goods · commodities · ownership · commercialism · spending spree
prestige
Reputation commanding admiration
- status symbolItem showing rank
- eliteSuperior select group
- exclusiveLimited to one group
limited edition · designer label · haute couture · brand name · trophy · signaling · keeping up with the Joneses · social climbing · one-upmanship · pecking order
wastefulness
Careless use of resources
superficial · shallow · vanity · pretentious · tasteless · vulgar · crass · tacky · garish · nouveau riche
opulence
Showy, abundant prosperity
- lavishnessExcessive richness or abundance
- extravaganceExcessive, wasteful spending
- sumptuousnessExtreme costly elegance
decadence · indulgence · splendor · plushness · high-end · designer · bespoke · premium · gilt · ornate
affluence
Abundance of money
- richesAbundant valuable possessions
- fortuneWealth or destiny
- luxury goodsCostly non-essential purchases
mansion · yacht · supercar · jewelry · diamonds · Rolex · private jet · penthouse · chauffeur · butler
showy
Excessively eye-catching
- flashyShowy, often tastelessly so
- flauntingOstentatious display of something
- ostentatiousShowily excessive
gaudy · garish · display · spectacle · showiness · flamboyant · loud · brash · theatrical · grandiose
acquisitiveness
Desire to gather wealth
- accumulationCollected mass over time
- possessionsThings one owns
- shoppingAcquiring goods at retailers
buying · collecting · retail therapy · hoarding · goods · commodities · ownership · commercialism · spending spree · impulse buying
- consumerismconsumers, shopping, buying, purchases, purchase
- greedgreed, avarice, covetousness, cupidity, materialism
- overspendingcredit card debt, maxed out cards, overdraft, impulse buying, shopping sprees
- social classupper class, middle class, lower class, working class, social class
- status symbolsluxury car, luxury cars, private jet, yacht, mansion
- Gilded AgeGilded Age, robber baron, robber barons, Carnegie, Rockefeller
conspicuous consumptionstealth wealth
Affluence without ostentation
conspicuous consumptionfrugality
Economical resource management
frugal living · austerity · minimalism · thrift · simple living
consume, consumer, conspicuous, consuming, consumption, inconspicuous, consumes, consumable, conspicuously