one-upmanship Hear it!

one-upmanship Definition

one-upmanship (wun up′mən s̸hip′)

noun

Informal the practice of, or skill in, seizing an advantage or gaining superiority over others

Etymology: one-up + (games)manship

one-upmanship Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • social: They purposely excluded people who approach art in part for pleasure and edification in favor of social one-upmanship and an ever-narrowing, in-crowd elite.