nabobs
Rich, powerful people
Nabobs is the plural of nabob, originally a provincial governor in Mughal India.
The word came to describe Europeans who returned from India with great wealth, then broadened to mean any person of conspicuous wealth or importance: media nabobs, political nabobs.
The term often carries a whiff of criticism—suggesting someone whose power or influence is slightly suspect or unearned.
Spiro Agnew's phrase nattering nabobs of negativism gave it memorable political currency.
Hereditary ruling class
- bluebloodsHereditary upper class
- patriciansHereditary ruling class
- upper-crustSocial elite class
- establishmentFounded organization or venue
old money · privileged class · gentry · nobility · socialites · jet-setters · glitterati · A-listers
Having abundant financial resources
- prosperousEnjoying wealth and success
- opulentOstentatiously wealthy
- moneyedHaving substantial wealth
- well-to-doHaving ample wealth
plutocrats · tycoons · millionaires · billionaires · magnates · financiers · capitalists · landowners
British colonial trading corporation
- British RajImperial rule over India
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- tradersProfessional buyers and sellers
- returneesThose who came back
Clive · Hastings · fortune-seekers · adventurers · colonial wealth · repatriated · nouveau riche · plunderers
Excessively high self-regard
- haughtyDisdainfully proud
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
- superciliousArrogantly contemptuous of others
- snobbishCondescending toward perceived inferiors
ostentatious · self-important · vainglorious · highfalutin · puffed-up · swaggering · condescending · overbearing
Resigned vice president, 1973
- punditsExpert commentators on affairs
- criticsThose who evaluate work
- naysayersThose who dismiss ideas
- commentatorsThose who analyze publicly
talking heads · opinion-makers · bloviators · media elite · power brokers · kingmakers · fixers
aristocrats
Hereditary ruling class
- bluebloodsHereditary upper class
- patriciansHereditary ruling class
- upper-crustSocial elite class
establishment · old money · privileged class · gentry · nobility · socialites · jet-setters · glitterati · A-listers · power elite
affluent
Having abundant financial resources
- prosperousEnjoying wealth and success
- opulentOstentatiously wealthy
- moneyedHaving substantial wealth
well-to-do · plutocrats · tycoons · millionaires · billionaires · magnates · financiers · capitalists · landowners · heirs
East India Company
British colonial trading corporation
- British RajImperial rule over India
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- tradersProfessional buyers and sellers
returnees · Clive · Hastings · fortune-seekers · adventurers · colonial wealth · repatriated · nouveau riche · plunderers · exploitation
arrogant
Excessively high self-regard
- haughtyDisdainfully proud
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
- superciliousArrogantly contemptuous of others
snobbish · ostentatious · self-important · vainglorious · highfalutin · puffed-up · swaggering · condescending · overbearing · grandiose
Agnew
Resigned vice president, 1973
commentators · talking heads · opinion-makers · bloviators · media elite · power brokers · kingmakers · fixers
- Company RajBritish East India Company, East India Company, sepoy, sepoys, factory
nabobsnobodies
Unimportant, unknown persons
powerless · underlings · subordinates · servants · peons