fortune-hunter
Wealth-seeking romantic
A fortune-hunter is someone who seeks wealth through marriage rather than earning it.
The term is usually derogatory, implying mercenary motives: Her father suspected every suitor of being a fortune-hunter.
The word appears frequently in Victorian novels, where marriage to an heiress was a recognized path to financial security.
More broadly, a fortune-hunter is anyone pursuing wealth through opportunistic means.
One pursuing wealthy partners
- dowryMarital property transfer
- heiressFemale wealth recipient
- matchmakerArranger of romantic pairings
- courtshipSeeking another's romantic favor
proposal · betrothal · matrimony · inheritance · estate · settlement · prenuptial · suitor
Crafty, deceitful planner
- manipulatorOne who controls cunningly
- exploiterOne who uses unfairly
- parasiteOne exploiting a host
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
user · chancer · profiteer · shark · cunning · calculating · predatory · unscrupulous
gold-digger
One pursuing wealthy partners
- dowryMarital property transfer
- heiressFemale wealth recipient
- matchmakerArranger of romantic pairings
courtship · proposal · betrothal · matrimony · inheritance · estate · settlement · prenuptial · suitor · eligible
schemer
Crafty, deceitful planner
- manipulatorOne who controls cunningly
- exploiterOne who uses unfairly
- parasiteOne exploiting a host
mercenary · user · chancer · profiteer · shark · cunning · calculating · predatory · unscrupulous · conniving
prospector
One seeking valuable deposits
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- questSeeking journey for something
pioneer · forty-niner · claim · bonanza · eldorado · goldfield · nugget · panning · mining · speculator
fortune-hunterromantic
Conducive to love
hopeless romantic · true love · soulmate · sweetheart · lover
fortune-huntersugar daddy
Wealthy older romantic benefactor
benefactor · provider · sugar mama · philanthropist · patron
fortune-hunterself-made man
One who succeeds independently
self-made woman · entrepreneur · bootstrapper · self-made millionaire · breadwinner
hunt, fortune, hunter, hunting, hunted, fortunate, unfortunate, misfortune, fortunately