Joneses

[ john-ziz ]

plural noun

1. one's neighbors, friends, business associates, etc.:

   Keeping up with the Joneses has put him in debt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Joneses¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

But because it appeared everyone on television and in magazines was doing so well, relative deprivation — feeling the need to “keep up with the Joneses” — replaced common sense.

From Seattle Times

According to court records the Joneses used increasingly severe methods to control the boy’s behavior, including strapping him to an inversion table, handcuffing him and shocking him with a device called a Zap Enforcer.

From Seattle Times

The Joneses and Wass deduced that the guitar, after being stolen, was eventually sold to a man named Ron Guest.

From Los Angeles Times

As the Joneses were starting to look for relatives of Guest, word had already reached his family.

From Seattle Times

This is what Bodge refers as “keeping up with the Joneses” which refers to trying to keep up with the expectations of other people rather than what is realistic for you to spend.

From Seattle Times