hobnob

IPA/ˈhɒbnɒb/
KK[hˈɑbnˌɑb]IPA/ˈhɑːbnɑːb/

hobnob — verb

  • hobnobpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • hobnobshe / she / it
  • hobnobbedpast simple
  • hobnobbing-ing form
  • hobnobedpast participle

1. to talk and spend time in a friendly way with people who have wealth, power, or

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to talk and spend time in a friendly way with people who have wealth, power, or fame, as though you belong among them

Example

Ramón spent the evening hobnobbing with film directors at the festival.

hobnob + with + [group of famous people]

Nikhil loves to hobnob with tech billionaires at Silicon Valley parties.

Common collocations
  • hobnob with celebrities
  • hobnob with politicians
  • hobnob with the wealthy
  • hobnob with the powerful
Synonyms
  • rub shoulders with

    more informal; emphasises physical proximity to important people

  • mingle with

    broader — not limited to important or famous people; neutral register

  • network with

    more purposeful and professional; implies building career connections

Antonyms
  • shun

    to deliberately avoid someone; opposite in social intent

Grammar Patterns

hobnob + with + noun phrase

Usage Note

Always intransitive — must be followed by 'with' and a noun phrase naming the important or famous group.

Common Mistakes

She hobnobbed the celebrity at the gala.
She hobnobbed with the celebrity at the gala.
'hobnob' is always intransitive; you must use 'with' after it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Hobnob, rub shoulders with, mingle with, network with, and fraternise with all describe social contact, but they differ in who you are mixing with and why. Hobnob strongly implies the other people are wealthy, powerful, or famous — and often carries a hint that the person is seeking status by association. Rub shoulders with is very close, but emphasises casual physical proximity more than friendly conversation. Mingle with is the broadest: you can mingle with anyone at a party, famous or not. Network with is goal-driven; people network to build professional contacts, not simply to enjoy social cachet. Fraternise with is formal and sometimes disapproving — it is often used when someone socialises with a group they should keep distance from, such as soldiers fraternising with the enemy. So a reporter might hobnob with actors at a premiere, mingle with the crowd afterwards, and network with editors to land a job.

rub shoulders with ↗mingle with ↗network withfraternise with

Common collocations

Phrases

  • hobnob with the rich and famous

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Hobnob comes from the old English drinking phrase 'hob and nob,' meaning 'give and take' or 'to drink to each other's health.' It first appeared in Shakespeare's time as a call to share drinks. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from sharing drinks together to socialising with important people — losing the literal link to alcohol but keeping the idea of friendly, familiar contact across a social gap.

First known use

1813

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1