keep up with the Joneses

verb

To act or make purchases for status or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends, neighbors, or society.

“Do you really need a fancy new car or are you just trying to keep up with the Joneses?”

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Meanings

verbkeep up with the Joneses (third-person singular simple present keeps up with the Joneses, present participle keeping up with the Joneses, simple past and past participle kept up with the Joneses)

present singular third person keeps up with the Joneses · participle present keeping up with the Joneses · participle past kept up with the Joneses · past kept up with the Joneses

  1. idiomaticTo act or make purchases for status or image rather than out of need, especially for the purpose of competing with friends, neighbors, or society.

    Do you really need a fancy new car or are you just trying to keep up with the Joneses?

    2 more examples

    One of the greatest pitfalls in the path of any young couple is the feeling that they must "keep up with the Joneses." We all think of ourselves as belonging to a certain social group—whether we express it in snobbish terms or not.

    1938, William F. Bigelow, editor, The Good Housekeeping Marriage Book, page 74

    Nor is it good for the name of the railway industry that skilled men should have to put in so much overtime to keep up financially with the Joneses in other walks of life.

    1962 February, “Talking of Trains: Signalmen's rewards”, in Modern Railways, page 82

Origin

Etymology uncertain. There are various theories; see the Wikipedia article.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 爭相攀比 /争相攀比, 互相攀比
  • 爭相攀比 /争相攀比 (zhēngxiāng pānbǐ)act or make purchases for status or image
  • 互相攀比 (hùxiāng pānbǐ)act or make purchases for status or image
Finnish olla mukana elintasokilpailussa
  • olla mukana elintasokilpailussaact or make purchases for status or image
Vietnamese so bì
  • so bìact or make purchases for status or image
Cite this entry
APA

keep up with the Joneses. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20up%20with%20the%20Joneses

MLA

“keep up with the Joneses.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20up%20with%20the%20Joneses. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep up with the Joneses,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20up%20with%20the%20Joneses.

Source: keep up with the Joneses on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.