A nepo baby is the child of famous or powerful parents whose connections opened doors in film, music, fashion or business. The word carries a reproach: the success seems inherited rather than earned. People use it on social media, in celebrity gossip and among friends, and said about a specific person, it sounds hurtful.
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a nepo baby; Hollywood nepo babies; be called a nepo baby; nepotism (neutral)
- Her dad owns the studio, so of course everyone online calls her a nepo baby.
- He's a nepo baby, but honestly he's a great actor and would get the roles anyway.
- Half the new band are nepo babies, their parents were famous rock stars in the nineties.
What changed
First versionMy classmate is a nepo baby, his parents bought him a new car for his birthday.
RevisionMy classmate is a rich kid, his parents bought him a new car for his birthday.
It's tempting to use nepo baby for any child from a rich family. But nepo baby is about a career: the person got work or fame thanks to famous parents. If it's only about money and gifts, people say rich kid.
Nepo is short for nepotism, giving jobs or advantages to your relatives. That's a neutral word, and you can use it in an IELTS essay: Nepotism in the film industry limits opportunities for new talent. Slang nepo baby won't work in the exam: in Speaking, say children of famous parents. In conversation, people sometimes joke about themselves this way: I'm a total nepo baby, my mum got me this job.
Your turn
Critics say she only got the lead role because her mum directed the film. They call her a ___ because of how she got the part.
Show the answer
nepo baby — She got the role thanks to her director mum, that is, through connections in the industry: that's exactly what a nepo baby is. Rich kid only talks about the family's money, while the critics are attacking the way she got the part.
Write to a friend about a celebrity people call a nepo baby. Say which parent is famous and what the celebrity has achieved on their own.
People call that singer a nepo baby because her dad is a famous producer, but her first album sold a million copies.
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