Definitions:

1. Refers to the act of casually mentioning the names of famous or influential people, usually to impress others or gain social status, even if the connection is minor or irrelevant. NOUN
   • He kept name-dropping celebrities hes's "met" to sound important.
2. The practice of casually mentioning important people in order to impress your listener. NOUN
   • The hard thing about name-dropping is to avoid being too obvious about it.
3. The practice of naming or alluding to important people and institutions within a conversation, story, song, online identity, or other communication. NOUN
   • The gossip columnist's name-dropping was a cheap ploy to attract readers.

Synonyms:

• boasting
• bragging
• showing off
• social climbing