But the favourite's power and influence provoke intense ill-feeling among other courtiers, who regard him as a sinister, usurping parvenu with ideas above his station, or perhaps even a sorcerer.
Source: wiktionary
Parvenu
/ˈpɑɹ.və.nju/
Synonyms for "parvenu" (114 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (23)
Strong matches (34)
gate-crashergreenhorngroundlingguttersnipehooliganill-bred fellowimmigrantintruderintrusiveloobyloutlow fellowman of meansman of substanceman of wealthmillionairemodernmodern generationmodern manmodernist
Show 14 more words
Related words (57)
neoterismneoteristnew arrivalnew boynew generationnew mannewcomernewly-richnouveau richenouveau roturiernouveau-richenovus homoparvenuepeasantphilistinepig in cloverplutocratrecruitribaldrich man
Noun(9 words)
Adjective(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: arriviste, upstart, adventurer, arriviste, babbitt.
- Sentence evidence is available for parvenu, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "parvenu".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "parvenu"
Keep "parvenu" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "parvenu" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "parvenu", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "parvenu" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
10 entriesnew moneynouveau richeparvenu aestheticsparvenu classparvenu rhetoricparvenu statusparvenu tastesparvenu wealthsocial climberupstart figure
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
Loss of money is far the worst, then comes ill-health, and then loss of reputation; loss of reputation is a bad third, for, if a man keeps health and money unimpaired, it will be generally found that his loss of reputation is due to breaches of parvenu conventions only, and not to violations of those older, better established canons whose authority is unquestionable.
Source: wiktionary
The Progressives were of the educated middle class, angry at the rule of parvenu financiers and industrialists.
Source: wiktionary
The majority of the adults, however, viewed Luisa Santiaga as the precious jewel of a rich and powerful family whom a parvenu telegraph operator was courting not for love but self-interest.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "parvenu"?
Closest matches include arriviste, upstart, adventurer, arriviste, babbitt.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "parvenu"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.