nouveau-riche

Someone who's nouveau-riche has recently become wealthy and enjoys spending money. Your nouveau-riche neighbor might buy six expensive cars and put lion sculptures in his front yard.

The term nouveau-riche is a derogatory term meant to mock people who have a lot of money but don't have the good taste to spend it in a "classy" way. The implication is that it's more socially acceptable to inherit money and the long traditions that go with it than to suddenly become wealthy. Nouveau-riche, "new rich" in French, dates from 1813, but the idea goes back to the ancient Greek concept of neo-ploutos.

Definitions of nouveau-riche

1. adjective

   characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
   synonyms: parvenu, parvenue, upstart

   pretentious

   making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction
2. noun

   a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
   synonyms: arriviste, parvenu, upstart

   types:

   climber, social climber

   someone seeking social prominence by obsequious behavior

   junior

   term of address for a disrespectful and annoying male

   lion-hunter

   someone who tries to attract social lions as guests

   type of:

   disagreeable person, unpleasant person

   a person who is not pleasant or agreeable