clubbish
- adjective
- /ˈklʌbɪʃ/
:
exclusivo
- The clubbish atmosphere at the exclusive spa made it difficult for newcomers to feel welcome.
Examples
-
In the mid-1970s, when I traveled to West Africa and South America for American Studies, our field was exploding; it was breaking out of the clubbish confines established by interdisciplinary-minded white male historians and literary critics.
Academic text (1998) -
Members of the book club enjoyed a clubbish camaraderie that made their discussions lively and engaging.
-
They managed this by being secretive, clubbish, and never soliciting job applications.
Fiction book (1991) -
The acquisition of an art museum by a city (like a local symphony orchestra) has traditionally been a source of civic pride in communities across the country; while the public has benefited, the self-perpetuating boards of these institutions have usually been clubbish associations of the local gentry.
Academic text (1992) -
The party was surprisingly clubbish, with everyone quickly forming tight-knit groups and sharing inside jokes.
Synonyms
2
7.5
A place or group that is friendly to members but keeps new people out
How Exclusive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word clubbish comes from club ('a group of people') plus the ending -ish ('like' or 'somewhat'), so it literally means 'like a club' — friendly and sociable but often closed to outsiders.