Cadillac lifestyle
- noun
- /ˈkædɪlæk ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl/
- US
:
estilo de vida Cadillac
- He always dreamed of escaping poverty and living a Cadillac lifestyle.
Examples
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Critics argue that the celebrity chef leads a Cadillac lifestyle while preaching modesty.
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Living a Cadillac lifestyle means always traveling first class.
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Despite his modest job, he managed to maintain a Cadillac lifestyle through careful savings.
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She enjoys a Cadillac lifestyle filled with luxury.
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Many people aspire to a Cadillac lifestyle that includes expensive cars and lavish vacations.
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His new mansion and luxury yacht are clear signs of his Cadillac lifestyle.
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After winning the lottery, she quickly embraced a Cadillac lifestyle full of designer clothes and fine dining.
Synonyms
8
5.6
A life of luxury with expensive things and many pleasures
1
7.7
A way of living with expensive things, parties, and lots of spending
A life that shows wealth with expensive clothes, food and travel
A life that shows off money and expensive things in public and aims to be famous
How Luxurious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'Cadillac' (used colloquially to mean top-quality or best) with 'lifestyle' (way of living), so a learner who recognises the brandal metaphor can infer a meaning of a very luxurious or high-end way of living. However, the meaning depends on cultural/brand knowledge and metaphorical extension rather than a purely compositional pattern, so it may not be immediately clear to a B1 learner who does not know the Cadillac connotation.
Etymology
Cadillac lifestyle may come from the famous American car brand Cadillac, long seen as a top, very expensive car that stands for comfort and style. So saying someone has a Cadillac lifestyle means they live in great comfort or 'luxury' and often 'show off' their wealth.