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arrivista

opportunistic

adjective ahr-ree-VEEST-ah Rare

Origin: French arriviste, from arriver (to arrive, to succeed)

Also means

social climber (noun)

Usage Note

Arrivista is both an adjective and a noun — una persona arrivista or simply un/una arrivista. As an adjective it is invariable in gender (same form for m/f), only the article changes. It carries a pejorative sense, describing someone who pursues success through unscrupulous means.

Examples

"È un tipo arrivista che usa tutti."

Natural Translation

He is an opportunistic type who uses everyone.

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