elbow mentality
An attitude characterized by self-interest and a willingness to prioritize personal benefit or ambition, often above the welfare of an organization or community; a willingness to elbow (verb) past others.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“His elbow mentality makes it hard for him to work in a team.”
“You cannot build a strong community if everyone has an elbow mentality.”
“The office culture changed when the new manager brought an elbow mentality that encouraged everyone to compete for promotions at any cost.”
“The project failed because several team members showed an elbow mentality, keeping important information to themselves just to look better than their peers during the final presentation.”
“During the store's massive clearance sale, the peaceful atmosphere disappeared as shoppers developed an elbow mentality to grab the best deals before anyone else could.”
“In a corporate environment defined by an aggressive elbow mentality, those who prioritize collaboration often find themselves sidelined by colleagues who view every interaction as a zero-sum game.”
A calque of the German Ellbogenmentalität or Ellenbogenmentalität, from the constituent German nouns Ellbogen or Ellenbogen, meaning elbow, and Mentalität, meaning mentality.
- 01
bend one's elbow
To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.
- 02
crab mentality
A phenomenon in which a person or a group of people attempt to hinder the progress or success of others, even if such success does not directly affect their own well-being.
- 03
elbow grease
Effort or hard work, especially physical work involving repeated motion of the forearm, such as scrubbing.
- 04
rub elbows
To associate closely; to consort, mingle, or socialize.
- 05
sharp elbows
A willingness to sacrifice others to advance one's own ambitions.
Last updated August 10, 2026