name-dropping

noun

The practice of casually mentioning famous or important people or the titles of their works, subtly implying familiarity or association, in order to impress others.

“Our drama teacher is always name-dropping, but I bet she's never even been to New York.”

Similar
name-checking
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Meanings

nounname-dropping (countable and uncountable, plural name-droppings)

plural name-droppings · alternative name dropping · alternative namedropping

  1. countableuncountableThe practice of casually mentioning famous or important people or the titles of their works, subtly implying familiarity or association, in order to impress others.

    “The one thing I don't want anybody to do, the one thing I will not tolerate, is name-dropping. It's bad. Marlon Brando told me that.”

    1997, Chris Chase, Name Dropping, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 14

    Synonyms: name-checking

verb

alternative name dropping · alternative namedropping

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of name-drop

    Our drama teacher is always name-dropping, but I bet she's never even been to New York.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe practice of casually mentioning famous or important people or the titles of their works, subtly implying familiarity or association, in order to impress others.

Similar
name-checking
Also see
name-checking
Cite this entry
APA

name-dropping. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/name-dropping

MLA

“name-dropping.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/name-dropping. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “name-dropping,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/name-dropping.

Source: name-dropping on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.