silver spoon upbringing
- noun
- /ˈsɪlvər spuːn ˌʌpˈbrɪŋkɪŋ/
- Informal
:
crianza en cuna de oro
- His silver spoon upbringing gave him access to elite schools and exclusive networks.
Examples
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Despite her silver spoon upbringing, she was known for her generosity and down-to-earth attitude.
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Many people believe a silver spoon upbringing can shelter you from real-world problems.
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He had a silver spoon upbringing that opened many doors for him.
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Many believe that a silver spoon upbringing leads to entitlement.
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Her silver spoon upbringing allowed her to travel the world without worrying about expenses.
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Growing up with a silver spoon upbringing, he never learned the value of hard work.
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His silver spoon upbringing resulted in a comfortable lifestyle, but he struggled with personal relationships.
Synonyms
14
6.3
A lot of money and valuable things that a person or place has
5
3.6
A life starting in a rich family with many advantages
Being a member of a noble family with high social rank
Antonyms
How Privileged
- Informal
21
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
silver + spoon + upbringing
The meaning 'childhood characterized by wealth and privilege' cannot be straightforwardly derived from the literal constituents 'silver' and 'spoon' plus 'upbringing'—the modifier 'silver spoon' is an idiomatic cultural metaphor (as in 'born with a silver spoon in one's mouth'). Although some languages have comparable idioms, the link between a metal utensil and social privilege is not transparently predictable for a B1 learner who only knows the individual words.
Etymology
Silver spoon upbringing may come from the old image of a baby being fed with a shiny silver spoon in rich homes, showing the family had money. So, it now means a childhood of 'wealth and privilege' that gives an easy, protected start in life.