classist
/ˈklæs.ɪst/
classist — adjective
1. describes an attitude, remark, or action that judges people according to their s
describes an attitude, remark, or action that judges people according to their social class rather than their character, often looking down on those from poorer backgrounds
Meilin overheard her boss make a classist joke about people who ride the bus.
classist + joke — judging people by social class
The nurse quietly objected to the doctor's classist remarks about the cleaner's family.
Kwame felt the hiring rules were classist; they favoured wealthy private school graduates.
The interviewer dismissed Jun's views because of his regional accent, which was deeply classist.
Tariq called out his uncle for a classist comment about people living on benefits.
- elitist
focuses more on a select privileged group rather than class broadly
- snobbish
more informal; about looking down on others' tastes or status
- discriminatory
broader term covering unfair treatment based on any group characteristic
- egalitarian
believing all people deserve equal rights and opportunities
- class-blind
not taking social class into account at all
文法句型
be + classist + about + noun
it is classist to + verb
deeply / openly + classist
用法筆記
Frequently used before nouns such as remark, joke, attitude, policy, or assumption.
常見錯誤
classist — noun
1. a person who judges others by how much money they have or what kind of job they
a person who judges others by how much money they have or what kind of job they do rather than by their character
At the dinner party, Farhad quietly admitted he had once been a classist who judged people by their jobs.
a classist — a person who judges by social class
Growing up, Ingrid's aunt was an unapologetic classist who looked down on anyone without a university degree.
The professor asked students to reflect on whether they had ever acted like a classist toward a classmate.
Samira's essay argued that any teacher who tracks children by parents' income is acting as a classist.
A classist thinks a cleaner is less capable than a company director without knowing either person.
- egalitarian
a person who believes all people deserve equal rights and opportunities
文法句型
a + classist
be + a + classist
call someone + a + classist
act like + a + classist
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/2: noun/1 describes a person who holds class-based prejudice in everyday interactions; noun/2 describes a person who actively upholds or benefits from structural class inequality through institutions or policy.
常見錯誤
2. a person who supports or benefits from a system that keeps lower classes at a di
a person who supports or benefits from a system that keeps lower classes at a disadvantage in favour of the upper class
Dr. Osei's research profiled a wealthy classist who lobbied to keep university fees high.
a classist + who lobbied — actively maintains inequality
Yasmin described her former boss as a classist who only hired graduates from expensive private schools.
The report quoted a classist who openly said poorer patients should wait longer for treatment.
At the hearing, activists confronted a classist who had voted against raising the minimum wage.
At the town hall, Dmitri called the councillor a classist for opposing free school meals for all children.
- egalitarian
a person who believes in and works toward equal treatment for all classes
- leveller
someone who seeks to remove class distinctions entirely
文法句型
a + classist + who + [verb]
accuse someone of being + a + classist
classists + in + [institution]
用法筆記
Common in academic and political writing. Describes a person who actively reinforces class inequality through policy, hiring, or institutional power — not merely someone with prejudiced views.