nouveau riche

[ noo-voh reesh; French noo-voh reesh ]

noun

, plural nou·veaux riches [noo, -voh , reesh, noo-voh , reesh].

1. a person who is newly rich:

   the ostentation of the nouveaux riches of the 1920s.

nouveau riche

/ ˌnuːvəʊ ˈriːʃ; nuvo riʃ /

noun

1. often plural a person who has acquired wealth recently and is regarded as vulgarly ostentatious or lacking in social graces

adjective

1. of or characteristic of the nouveaux riches

nouveau riche

1. A pejorative term for one who has recently become rich and who spends money conspicuously. From French, meaning “new rich.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of nouveau riche¹

1805–15; < French: new rich (person)

Word History and Origins

Origin of nouveau riche¹

French, literally: new rich

Example Sentences

Then the international monetary boom and its immediate effects on China transformed the middle class into the nouveau riche.

From The Daily Beast

And Jack come home from a long cruise, with prize-money in his pockets, was as ostentatious as any nouveau riche.

From Project Gutenberg

He really is a typical nouveau riche out of a novel (not one of your novels, darling).

From Project Gutenberg

"It looks rather—rather nouveau riche," said Clara, surveying the result.

From Project Gutenberg

One dozen bonbon dishes, five nouveau riche sugar shakers (we never use them), three muffineers—in heaven's name, what's that?

From Project Gutenberg

A case of nouveau riche retaining their old habits while their palace was being built.

From Project Gutenberg