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.
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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.
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able to take a trick; being a winning card.
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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.
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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
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highs
plural
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Automotive. high gear.
He shifted into high when the road became level.
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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.
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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,
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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
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(in combination) coming up to a specified level
knee-high
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being at its peak or point of culmination
high noon
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of greater than average height
a high collar
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greater than normal in degree, intensity, or amount
high prices
a high temperature
a high wind
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of large or relatively large numerical value
high frequency
high voltage
high mileage
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(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
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expressing or feeling contempt or arrogance
high words
-
elated; cheerful
high spirits
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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
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luxurious or extravagant
high life
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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
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cards
-
having a relatively great value in a suit
-
able to win a trick
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stranded; helpless; destitute
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in all places; everywhere
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informal arrogant
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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
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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:
“It’s highly associated with all muscle strength or weakness. If somebody is very weak in their grip, they are at very high risk for whole body frailty and weakness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
When Treasury yields last were this high, the U.S. economy was in an entirely different era.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
A behind-the-scenes video of a Northern California high school football team staging a fun-filled photo shoot at their local In-N-Out quickly racked up nearly a million views on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The new tax is also an effort to combat illicit trade, which is a growing problem on UK high streets.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
With each moment the crowd around us would swell, packing the nearby platforms, hanging over the edges, until the high structures groaned and swayed.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Treasury yields declined in Asian trade, retreating from Tuesday’s highs, as Federal Reserve speakers mitigated interest-rate hike expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Many investors were also swept up in the speculative frenzy that drove gold to fresh record highs last year and at the start of 2026, he noted.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Treasury yields retreated from multiyear highs in Asian trade on Wednesday after Federal Reserve speeches lowered market expectations of interest-rate hikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Artificial intelligence is fuelling a rebound in investment in innovation, with corporate research and development spending reaching record highs, the United Nations said Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
The temperature climbs to 100 degrees—cool compared with the highs of 112 to 118 the week before, which had partially melted the asphalt on Interstate 35.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
A weak grip is also associated with a higher risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and dementia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
U.S. stocks ended modestly lower, while a flurry of economic data eased concerns about imminent rate hikes and sent tech stocks higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
However, Cara Lewis-Rimes and Dylan Killner said they might reconsider the habit in light of higher prices.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The problem predates recent federal cuts challenging higher education, he said, emphasizing a decline in public trust in universities and affirming that USC is well placed to address it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
I craned my neck and glimpsed the very top of Redhead Hill, trying to imagine how much higher Silver Peak Mountain would be.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
One of the most ominous findings is what researchers observed at measurement sites at the highest elevations, where temperatures are lowest and glaciers are typically snow-covered.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Over 26 weeks, the highest doses of the drug roughly halved the loss of lean mass, which includes muscle, compared with those who only took semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Treasury yields continued their recent climb, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rising 0.036 percentage point to 5.292%, its highest close May 2002.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
More important, the patients with a body mass index of 35 or higher who took the highest dose of retatrutide were no longer classified as obese after undergoing treatment.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
He inched himself on his bottom, like a shy crab, toward the tip-top of the slope, to the highest spot, where he sat, washed in sunlight, surveying the kingdom that was Snowberger’s.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
