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Glite Dictionary
jet set

jet set

1 6.8
A group of rich fashionable people who often travel for pleasure
  • noun
  • /dʒɛt sɛt/
translation icon : jet set
  • The jet set enjoyed a lavish party on a private yacht off the coast of Ibiza.
  • jet-set movie-star
  • international jet set

Examples

  • It's possible that people will assume you rub elbows with the jet set crowd.

    Blog text (17)

  • We're going to join the jet set.

    Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016)

  • But he gets a little carried away with wanting to be part of the jet set.

    Blog text (20)

  • I don't hobnob with the jet set.

    Wall Street (1987)

  • A going-away party for Bill Harstad, who got an offer from some jet-set magazine in New York, was supposed to be today after work.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Many people aspire to travel with the jet set to glamorous destinations around the world.

  • Living a lifestyle like the jet set often involves attending exclusive events in luxurious locations.

Synonyms

high society
vsjet set
9 4.2

A group of rich, fashionable people with social influence

is the circle of those who travel frequently for leisure and socializing
glitterati
vsjet set
  • Literature
4 8.6

Famous stylish people who go to glamorous events

are wealthy travelers who attend events mainly for social pleasure
smart set
vsjet set
  • Archaic
1 8.2

A group of fashionable people in high society

is the subgroup who travel often for pleasure and events
beau monde
vsjet set
1 9.9

People who are wealthy and fashionable and attend fancy parties and important social events

is the wealthier group who travel often for pleasure and events

Antonyms

common people
16 1.3

People who are not rich or powerful

How Glamorous

jet set
1 6.8
elite group
9 5.0
tourist
511 1.0

Surface Forms

jet set singular
jet sets plural

Morphology

jet + set

The compound directly combines 'jet' (aircraft/air travel) with 'set' (a group), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a group associated with jets — people who travel frequently by plane and therefore are typically wealthy/social. This compositional logic is straightforward and mirrors similar constructions cross-linguistically, making the meaning readily derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Jet set probably comes from the early days when fast jet planes let rich, fashionable people fly quickly between parties. Because set means a social group, the phrase came to mean 'a group of wealthy and fashionable people who travel often'.