ladder climbers
Corporate ascent seekers
Ladder climbers are people focused on advancing their status, especially in corporate or social hierarchies.
The term usually carries negative connotations—suggesting someone who prioritizes personal advancement over loyalty, ethics, or genuine contribution: The office ladder climbers will do anything to get ahead.
The image is of climbing rungs toward the top while others remain below.
- ambitiousStrongly desiring achievement
- corporateOf or relating to companies
- socialConcerning community life
- careeristAdvancement-obsessed professional
- striversPeople who work hard
networkers · name droppers · sycophants · brownnosers · go-getters · rat race · rungs · promotion · fast track · hustle · office · politics · backstabbing · scheming · upwardly mobile · opportunists · status · power
- upstartsnewcomers, rookies, novices, newbies, challengers
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
ladder climberslifers
Those serving until death
worker bees · dead-enders · coasters · slackers · stick-in-the-muds
ladder climbersdownshifters
Those choosing simpler lives
dropouts · free spirits · bohemians · non-conformists · minimalists
ladder, climber, ladders, climb, climbs, climbed, climbing, climbable