high
Americanadjective
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higher,
comparative
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highest
superlative
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having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or vertically; lofty; tall.
a high wall.
- Antonyms:
- low
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having a specified extent upward.
The apple tree is now 20 feet high.
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situated above the ground or some base; elevated.
a high platform;
a high ledge.
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exceeding the common degree or measure; strong; intense.
high speed;
high color.
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expensive; costly; dear.
The price of food these days is much too high.
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exalted in rank, station, eminence, etc.; of exalted character or quality.
a high official;
high society.
- Synonyms:
- distinguished, prominent, eminent, elevated
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Music.
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acute in pitch.
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a little sharp, or above the desired pitch.
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-
produced by relatively rapid vibrations; shrill.
the high sounds of crickets.
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extending to or from an elevation.
a high dive.
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great in quantity, as number, degree, or force.
a high temperature;
high cholesterol.
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Religion.
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chief; principal; main.
the high altar of a church.
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High Church.
-
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of great consequence; important; grave; serious;
the high consequences of such a deed;
high treason.
- Synonyms:
- capital
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haughty; arrogant.
He took a high tone with his subordinates.
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advanced to the utmost extent or to the culmination.
high tide.
-
elevated; merry or hilarious.
high spirits;
a high old time.
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rich; extravagant; luxurious.
They have indulged in high living for years.
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Informal. intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics.
He was so high he couldn't stand up.
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remote.
high latitude;
high antiquity.
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extreme in opinion or doctrine, especially religious or political.
a high Tory.
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designating or pertaining to highland or inland regions.
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having considerable energy or potential power.
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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.
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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.
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(of meat, especially game) tending toward a desirable or undesirable amount of decomposition; slightly tainted.
He likes his venison high.
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Metallurgy. containing a relatively large amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination).
high-carbon steel.
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Baseball. (of a pitched ball) crossing the plate at a level above the batter's shoulders.
The pitch was high and outside.
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Cards.
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having greater value than other denominations or suits.
-
able to take a trick; being a winning card.
-
being or having a winning combination.
Whose hand is high?
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Nautical. noting a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, equal to a whole gale.
adverb
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at or to a high point, place, or level.
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in or to a high rank or estimate.
He aims high in his political ambitions.
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at or to a high amount or price.
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in or to a high degree.
-
luxuriously; richly; extravagantly.
They have always lived high.
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Nautical. as close to the wind as is possible while making headway with sails full.
noun
-
highs
plural
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Automotive. high gear.
He shifted into high when the road became level.
-
Informal. high school.
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Meteorology. a pressure system characterized by relatively high pressure at its center.
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a high or the highest point, place, or level; peak.
a record high for unemployment.
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Slang.
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a euphoric state induced by alcohol, drugs, etc.
-
a period of sustained excitement, exhilaration, or the like.
After winning the lottery he was on a high for weeks.
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Cards. the ace or highest trump out, especially in games of the all fours family.
idioms
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fly high, to be full of hope or elation.
His stories began to sell, and he was flying high.
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on high,
-
at or to a height; above.
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in heaven.
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having a high position, as one who makes important decisions.
the powers on high.
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high and dry,
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high on, enthusiastic or optimistic about; having a favorable attitude toward or opinion of.
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high and low, in every possible place; everywhere.
The missing jewelry was never found, though we searched high and low for it.
adjective
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being a relatively great distance from top to bottom; tall
a high building
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situated at or extending to a relatively great distance above the ground or above sea level
a high plateau
-
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(postpositive) being a specified distance from top to bottom
three feet high
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( in combination )
a seven-foot-high wall
-
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extending from an elevation
a high dive
-
(in combination) coming up to a specified level
knee-high
-
being at its peak or point of culmination
high noon
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of greater than average height
a high collar
-
greater than normal in degree, intensity, or amount
high prices
a high temperature
a high wind
-
of large or relatively large numerical value
high frequency
high voltage
high mileage
-
(of sound) acute in pitch; having a high frequency
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(of latitudes) situated relatively far north or south from the equator
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(of meat) slightly decomposed or tainted, regarded as enhancing the flavour of game
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of great eminence; very important
the high priestess
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exalted in style or character; elevated
high drama
-
expressing or feeling contempt or arrogance
high words
-
elated; cheerful
high spirits
-
informal (predicative) overexcited
by the end of term the children are really high
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informal being in a state of altered consciousness, characterized esp by euphoria and often induced by the use of alcohol, narcotics, etc
-
luxurious or extravagant
high life
-
advanced in complexity or development
high finance
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(of a gear) providing a relatively great forward speed for a given engine speed Compare low 1
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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
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(capital when part of name) formal and elaborate in style
High Mass
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(usually capital) of or relating to the High Church
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remote, esp in time
-
cards
-
having a relatively great value in a suit
-
able to win a trick
-
-
stranded; helpless; destitute
-
in all places; everywhere
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informal arrogant
-
informal
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very drunk
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overexcited
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euphoric from drugs
-
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a favourable opinion
adverb
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at or to a height
he jumped high
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in a high manner
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nautical close to the wind with sails full
noun
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a high place or level
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informal a state of altered consciousness, often induced by alcohol, narcotics, etc
-
another word for anticyclone
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short for high school
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(capital) (esp in Oxford) the High Street
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electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical one Compare low 1
-
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at a height
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in heaven
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Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
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”
Explanation
Use the adjective high to describe something with a great elevation. If you want to see a really high mountain, you should visit Mount Everest. You can also use high to describe a sound or musical note that is elevated in pitch. Some stores use a high-pitched buzzing sound to keep teenagers from loitering. The noise drives teens crazy, but it doesn't bother their parents, because adults can't hear the high frequency. High also means a state of euphoria. After you win a first place medal at the swim meet, you might be on a high for days.
Vocabulary lists containing high
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.
See Examples For:
"At high speeds underwater, a torpedo generates significant noise, making it easier to detect," Yang said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
This causes a greater contrast with the warmer tropics which can fire up a more potent jet stream - the fast moving, narrow band of fast winds high in the atmosphere.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
But while top-tier high school programs tried to lure him away, it was never a question.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
After initially settling in the suburbs of Washington, her family moved to Minnesota as she entered high school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Down in the far lefthand corner, beneath the bottom shelf, a sliding panel, two feet high and two wide, opened into the secret room.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Piper Sandler’s Johnson also highlighted that the index’s chart depicts that those who bought tech stocks after the Nasdaq’s breakout to the late-September and early-October record highs got duped.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Spooked investors are fleeing some of the big-tech companies that reached new highs on the back of the artificial-intelligence boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The expansion became particularly noticeable between 2012 and 2014, when Antarctic winter sea ice set new record highs for three consecutive years.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Since then, global ocean temperatures have soared to unprecedented highs and the worst coral bleaching episode on record between 2023 and 2025 caused widespread mortality across reefs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
I heard all the words and instruments, complete with stereo highs and bass lows to “My Girl,” fluting out of his long but happy face.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Japan tightened rules for permanent residency this month, with foreigners required to have higher annual incomes and greater fluency in Japanese.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
But spending was much higher, rising by six percent to $7.40 trillion.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The result: A shortage of housing, water and energy—and inevitably higher prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Daniel Sturridge has two fewer substitute goals then Welbeck but has scored a slightly higher percentage of his overall Premier League tally as a sub - 22%.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The pavement petered out to a dirt road as we climbed higher and higher.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
“So every week, we’re just developing. And we’re still not at our highest state. Once we get to the playoffs, that’s when we’ll be at our best.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
This especially hurt because productivity in mining and gas, as proxied by hourly wages, is one of the highest in Canada and higher than in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
On the test that followed, comprehension improved for both groups, but it was highest for the group whose conversation included the bilingual form.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The reading was the highest in five months and saw investors push up bets on a second-successive rate hike this month.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
I make a real show of spraying the bottle with the hose on its highest setting.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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