hauteur
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of hauteur
1620–30; < French, equivalent to haut high ( see haughty) + -eur -or 1
Explanation
Hauteur is an obnoxious display of overbearing pride and superiority over others. Rather than showing humility and respect, a bad king might act with hauteur toward his subjects. The noun hauteur stems from the Old English word haute, meaning "high in one's own estimation." Because it often develops as a result of power over others (or perceived power), it's often associated with royalty or politically powerful figures who throughout history have become vain and arrogant because of their position: A high-powered CEO might show hauteur toward the newly hired assistant; a professional athlete's hauteur may result from the media spotlight and multi-million-dollar contracts.
Vocabulary lists containing hauteur
The Great Gatsby
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Pride and Prejudice
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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.
Displaying as always her couture hauteur, Miranda, who doesn’t even remember Andy from her long-ago gig, tosses the former assistant in a terrible office and tells her she will inevitably fail.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Ted is a cartoon creep with an Oxbridge hauteur, but Theo’s shortcomings may be too subtly rendered for a play that cries out for more definition.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
“Whatever nomenclature you prefer,” Elizabeth offers, accentuating her speech with oozing hauteur.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2024
With smug hauteur, she said: “You did when I was confirmed.”
From Washington Post • Jun. 8, 2022
Nathan had told her, some months earlier, in a voice filled with hauteur, that he did not read any fiction published after 1930.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
