Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

high-up

American  
[hahy-uhp] / ˈhaɪˈʌp /

adjective

  1. holding a high position or rank.

noun

plural

high-ups

  1. a person holding a high position or rank; higher-up.

high-up British  

noun

  1. informal a person who holds an important or influential position

"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

Etymology

Origin of high-up

First recorded in 1865–70; noun, adj. use of high up

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.

Another transition high-up told the publication Hegseth “was vetted, but this alleged incident didn’t come up.”

From Salon • Nov. 15, 2024

Misguided, opinionated labor is dead weight; the high-up leaders know best, which is why they’ve earned the positions they have to begin with.

From Slate • Sep. 14, 2023

"The particular angle at which the sunlight hits these high-up ice crystals form these patterns," she said.

From BBC • May 29, 2023

Brianna: Most of the MeToo hashtags I’ve seen have been celebrities or people in high-up positions — high-profile people.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2022

Throwing back and forth, and the sound of cicadas and bees and high-up birds and the leather smell of our gloves and the ball smacking into them.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

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.