social climber
Ambitious society striver
A social climber is someone who actively seeks to gain acceptance into higher social circles, typically through calculated friendships, advantageous relationships, or status-conscious behavior.
The term is almost always disparaging, implying that the person's ambitions are shallow or their methods insincere: She dismissed him as a social climber who only dated women from wealthy families.
One who works diligently
- arrivisteAmbitious social newcomer
- parvenuGraceless new-money type
- upwardly mobileRising in social class
- aspirantOne seeking advancement
go-getter · self-made · nouveau riche · advancement · upward mobility · ambitious · enterprising · determined
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- opportunisticExploiting circumstances for gain
- ingratiatingSeeking favor through flattery
sycophant · flatterer · bootlicker · name-dropper · two-faced · insincere · disingenuous · user
Falsely grand or important
- affectedArtificially contrived behavior
- elitistOne favoring the privileged
- class-consciousAware of social strata
- looking downDirecting sight lower
exclusionary · trophy wife · trophy husband · nouveau riche · classist · aspirational · wannabe · poseur
Reputation commanding admiration
- upper crustSocial elite class
- jet setWealthy international socialites
- socialiteProminent figure in fashionable circles
- pecking orderSocial dominance arrangement
rank · influence · affluence · status symbol · recognition · reputation · cachet · clout
Casual strategic socializing
- minglingCasual social interaction
- connectionsRelationships between things
- contactsPeople you know professionally
- cocktail partiesSocial gatherings with drinks
galas · fundraisers · country club · working the room · handshaking · introductions · inner circle · gatekeepers
striver
One who works diligently
- arrivisteAmbitious social newcomer
- parvenuGraceless new-money type
- upwardly mobileRising in social class
aspirant · go-getter · self-made · nouveau riche · advancement · upward mobility · ambitious · enterprising · determined · achiever
scheming
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- opportunisticExploiting circumstances for gain
ingratiating · sycophant · flatterer · bootlicker · name-dropper · two-faced · insincere · disingenuous · user · exploitative
pretentious
Falsely grand or important
- affectedArtificially contrived behavior
- elitistOne favoring the privileged
- class-consciousAware of social strata
looking down · exclusionary · trophy wife · trophy husband · nouveau riche · classist · aspirational · wannabe · poseur · airs and graces
prestige
Reputation commanding admiration
- upper crustSocial elite class
- jet setWealthy international socialites
- socialiteProminent figure in fashionable circles
pecking order · rank · influence · affluence · status symbol · recognition · reputation · cachet · clout · prominence
schmoozing
Casual strategic socializing
- minglingCasual social interaction
- connectionsRelationships between things
- contactsPeople you know professionally
cocktail parties · galas · fundraisers · country club · working the room · handshaking · introductions · inner circle · gatekeepers · opening nights
- snobssnob, elitist, snoot, prig, highbrow
- social peopleextrovert, extroverts, people person, socialite, networker
- driven peoplego-getter, striver, hustler, dynamo, eager beaver
- opportunistsopportunist, exploiter, user, gold digger, fortune hunter
- socialitessocialite, debutante, heiress, jet setter, jet-setter
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fraud, fake
social climberdownshifter
One embracing slower pace
recluse · hermit · ascetic · dropout · salt of the earth
social climbertrue friend
Genuinely loyal companion
loyal friend · salt of the earth · loyal companion · straight shooter · honest broker
social climberold money
Long-established family fortune
blue blood · aristocrat · to the manor born · pedigreed · trust fund kid
climb, social, society, associate, climbing, association, sociable, climber, antisocial