Meanings
plural social climbers
- derogatoryOne who tries to improve his or her social status, especially by means of obsequious behaviour.
“Are you accusing me of social climbing!” she fumed, getting right in his face. “You are a social climber, my darling.” “They only call you a social climber if you're not good at it,” Lucy said, starting for the front door, checking her phone for what would be the last time as she exited.
2012, Tonya Hurley, The Blessed, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 79
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsomeone seeking social prominence by obsequious behavior
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Danish karrieremager, stræber
- karrieremagerone who tries to improve his or her social position
- stræberone who tries to improve his or her social position
Finnish pyrkyri, kiipijä
- pyrkyrione who tries to improve his or her social position
- kiipijäone who tries to improve his or her social position
French arriviste, grimpeur
- arrivisteone who tries to improve his or her social position
- grimpeurone who tries to improve his or her social position
German Karrierist, (sozialer) Aufsteiger
- Karrieristone who tries to improve his or her social position
- (sozialer) Aufsteigerone who tries to improve his or her social position
Greek αριβίστας
- αριβίστας (arivístas)one who tries to improve his or her social position
Indonesian panjat sosial
- panjat sosialone who tries to improve his or her social position
Polish karierowicz, karierowiczka
- karierowiczone who tries to improve his or her social position
- karierowiczkaone who tries to improve his or her social position
Portuguese alpinista social, arrivista
- alpinista socialone who tries to improve his or her social position
- arrivistaone who tries to improve his or her social position
Spanish trepador, trepa
- trepadorone who tries to improve his or her social position
- trepaone who tries to improve his or her social position
- arribistaone who tries to improve his or her social position
Cite this entry
social climber. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20climber
“social climber.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20climber. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “social climber,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/social%20climber.
Source: social climber on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.