High Definition & Meaning

American

British

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Etymology

Examples

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Synonyms high American [hahy] / haɪ /

adjective

higher, highest

1. having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or vertically; lofty; tall.

   a high wall.

   Antonyms: low

2. having a specified extent upward.

   The apple tree is now 20 feet high.

3. situated above the ground or some base; elevated.

   a high platform;

   a high ledge.

4. exceeding the common degree or measure; strong; intense.

   high speed;

   high color.

5. expensive; costly; dear.

   The price of food these days is much too high.

6. exalted in rank, station, eminence, etc.; of exalted character or quality.

   a high official;

   high society.

   Synonyms: distinguished, prominent, eminent, elevated

7. Music.

   1. acute in pitch.

   2. a little sharp, or above the desired pitch.

8. produced by relatively rapid vibrations; shrill.

   the high sounds of crickets.

9. extending to or from an elevation.

   a high dive.

10. great in quantity, as number, degree, or force.

    a high temperature;

    high cholesterol.

11. Religion.

    1. chief; principal; main.

       the high altar of a church.

    2. High Church.

12. of great consequence; important; grave; serious;

    the high consequences of such a deed;

    high treason.

    Synonyms: capital

13. haughty; arrogant.

    He took a high tone with his subordinates.

14. advanced to the utmost extent or to the culmination.

    high tide.

15. elevated; merry or hilarious.

    high spirits;

    a high old time.

16. rich; extravagant; luxurious.

    They have indulged in high living for years.

17. Informal. intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics.

    He was so high he couldn't stand up.

18. remote.

    high latitude;

    high antiquity.

19. extreme in opinion or doctrine, especially religious or political.

    a high Tory.

20. designating or pertaining to highland or inland regions.

21. having considerable energy or potential power.

22. Automotive. of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the speed of the engine crankshaft and of the drive shaft most closely correspond.

    high gear.

23. Phonetics. (of a vowel) articulated with the upper surface of the tongue relatively close to some portion of the palate, as the vowels of eat and it, which are high front, and those of boot and put, which are high back.

24. (of meat, especially game) tending toward a desirable or undesirable amount of decomposition; slightly tainted.

    He likes his venison high.

25. Metallurgy. containing a relatively large amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination).

    high-carbon steel.

26. Baseball. (of a pitched ball) crossing the plate at a level above the batter's shoulders.

    The pitch was high and outside.

27. Cards.

    1. having greater value than other denominations or suits.

    2. able to take a trick; being a winning card.

    3. being or having a winning combination.

       Whose hand is high?

28. Nautical. noting a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, equal to a whole gale.

adverb

higher, highest

1. at or to a high point, place, or level.

2. in or to a high rank or estimate.

   He aims high in his political ambitions.

3. at or to a high amount or price.

4. in or to a high degree.

5. luxuriously; richly; extravagantly.

   They have always lived high.

6. Nautical. as close to the wind as is possible while making headway with sails full.

noun

1. Automotive. high gear.

   He shifted into high when the road became level.

2. Informal. high school.

3. Meteorology. a pressure system characterized by relatively high pressure at its center.

4. a high or the highest point, place, or level; peak.

   a record high for unemployment.

5. Slang.

   1. a euphoric state induced by alcohol, drugs, etc.

   2. a period of sustained excitement, exhilaration, or the like.

      After winning the lottery he was on a high for weeks.

6. Cards. the ace or highest trump out, especially in games of the all fours family.

idioms

1. fly high, to be full of hope or elation.

   His stories began to sell, and he was flying high.

2. on high,

   1. at or to a height; above.

   2. in heaven.

   3. having a high position, as one who makes important decisions.

      the powers on high.

3. high and dry,

   1. (of a ship) grounded so as to be entirely above water at low tide.

   2. in a deprived or distressing situation; deserted; stranded.

      We missed the last bus and were left high and dry.

4. high on, enthusiastic or optimistic about; having a favorable attitude toward or opinion of.

5. high and low, in every possible place; everywhere.

   The missing jewelry was never found, though we searched high and low for it.

high British / haɪ /

adjective

1. being a relatively great distance from top to bottom; tall

   a high building

2. situated at or extending to a relatively great distance above the ground or above sea level

   a high plateau

3. 1. (postpositive) being a specified distance from top to bottom

      three feet high

   2. ( in combination )

      a seven-foot-high wall

4. extending from an elevation

   a high dive

5. (in combination) coming up to a specified level

   knee-high

6. being at its peak or point of culmination

   high noon

7. of greater than average height

   a high collar

8. greater than normal in degree, intensity, or amount

   high prices

   a high temperature

   a high wind

9. of large or relatively large numerical value

   high frequency

   high voltage

   high mileage

10. (of sound) acute in pitch; having a high frequency

11. (of latitudes) situated relatively far north or south from the equator

12. (of meat) slightly decomposed or tainted, regarded as enhancing the flavour of game

13. of great eminence; very important

    the high priestess

14. exalted in style or character; elevated

    high drama

15. expressing or feeling contempt or arrogance

    high words

16. elated; cheerful

    high spirits

17. informal (predicative) overexcited

    by the end of term the children are really high

18. informal being in a state of altered consciousness, characterized esp by euphoria and often induced by the use of alcohol, narcotics, etc

19. luxurious or extravagant

    high life

20. advanced in complexity or development

    high finance

21. (of a gear) providing a relatively great forward speed for a given engine speed Compare low 1

22. phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a vowel whose articulation is produced by raising the back of the tongue towards the soft palate or the blade towards the hard palate, such as for the ee in English see or oo in English moon Compare low 1

23. (capital when part of name) formal and elaborate in style

    High Mass

24. (usually capital) of or relating to the High Church

25. remote, esp in time

26. cards

    1. having a relatively great value in a suit

    2. able to win a trick

27. stranded; helpless; destitute

28. in all places; everywhere

29. informal arrogant

30. informal

    1. very drunk

    2. overexcited

    3. euphoric from drugs

31. a favourable opinion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

1. at or to a height

   he jumped high

2. in a high manner

3. nautical close to the wind with sails full

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. a high place or level

2. informal a state of altered consciousness, often induced by alcohol, narcotics, etc

3. another word for anticyclone

4. short for high school

5. (capital) (esp in Oxford) the High Street

6. electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical one Compare low 1

7. 1. at a height

   2. in heaven

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 high More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing high

• blow sky-high
• fly high
• friend in court (high places)
• hell or high water
• hit the high spots (points)
• hold one's head high
• in high dudgeon
• knee-high to a grasshopper
• on high
• on one's high horse
• ride high
• run high
• stink to high heaven
• think a lot (highly) of
• turn on (get high)

Related Words

High, lofty, tall, towering refer to something that has considerable height. High is a general term, and denotes either extension upward or position at a considerable height: six feet high; a high shelf. Lofty denotes imposing or even inspiring height: lofty crags. Tall is applied either to something that is high in proportion to its breadth, or to anything higher than the average of its kind: a tall tree, building. Towering is applied to something that rises to a great or conspicuous height as compared with something else: a towering mountain.

Other Word Forms

• overhigh adjective
• overhighly adverb

Etymology

Origin of high

First recorded before 900; Middle English heigh, variant of hegh, hey, heh, Old English hēah, hēh; cognate with Dutch hoog, Old High German hoh ( German hoch ), Old Norse hār, Swedish hög, Gothic hauhs, Lithuanian kaũkas “swelling,” kaukarà “hill”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So when they own a lot of stock, it suggests positive changes in the business ahead that should drive their stocks higher.

From MarketWatch

The hottest high schools in Massachusetts are trade schools.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The longer the distance, the more you have water interacting with rocks, so there's a higher chance of chemical reactions that could be translated into signs of life," he said.

From Science Daily

On the Ekitike incident it stated "there's not enough contact for a foul, particularly given the high threshold for penalising contact".

From BBC

"The economy showed remarkable strength by overcoming higher inflation, a slowing labor market, fewer rate cuts than originally expected, and a sharp rise in the effective tariff rate," he added.

From Barron's

Related Words

• big
• great
• huge
• immense
• large
• lofty
• long
• soaring
• steep
• tremendous

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.