You describe someone as an arriviste when you are criticizing them because they are trying very hard to belong to an influential or important social group which you feel they have no right to belong to.
[formal, disapproval]
A woman regarded by some as a pushy arriviste.
...political arrivistes.
Synonyms: upstart, would-be, climber, social climber More Synonyms of arriviste
arriviste in British English
(ˌæriːˈviːst, French arivist)
noun
a person who is unscrupulously ambitious
Word origin
French: see arrive, -ist
arriviste in American English
(ˌæriˈvist; ˌ ɛrivist; French aʀiˈvist)
noun
a person who has recently gained power, wealth, success, etc. and is regarded as an upstart; parvenu
Word origin
Fr < arriver (see arrive) + -iste, -ist1
Examples of 'arriviste' in a sentence
arriviste
Finally at half-past three I went upstairs to dress as a grammar-school arriviste.