high-five

American  

[hahy-fahyv] / ˈhaɪˈfaɪv /

Or high five

noun

1. a gesture of congratulation, solidarity, or greeting in which one person slaps the upraised palm of the hand against that of another.

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verb (used with object)

1. to congratulate, express solidarity with, or greet (a person) with a high-five.

   I'm such a couch potato that I'd love to high-five the genius who invented remote controls.

verb (used without object)

1. to exchange high-fives.

   After pulling out a win, the players noisily high-fived before leaving the court.

high-five British  

noun

1. a gesture of greeting or congratulation in which two people slap raised right palms together

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verb

1. to greet or congratulate (a person) in this way

Etymology

Origin of high-five

First recorded in 1975–80 ( five in reference to the five fingers of the hand)

Example Sentences

One cut, he said, was caused when his attorney general Pam Bondi hit the back of his hand with her ring while giving him a high-five.

From Barron's

The tech nerds are high-fiving in Silicon Valley.

From MarketWatch

Late in the game, as rookie Omarion Hampton ran for a touchdown, Herbert joined him in the end zone and exchanged high-fives with teammates, careful to protect his casted left hand.

From Los Angeles Times

"Will your virtual teacher be there to dance with you at prom, hug your mum during results day, or high-five you in the corridor because they know you won the match last night?" she says.

From BBC

Before it was opened on 29 November, Mayor Andrea Biancani posted a doctored image of Pavarotti's statue playing ice hockey with the hashtag #DaiUnCinqueAPavarotti, which translates to "Give a high-five to Pavarotti".

From BBC

Related Words

• accost
• acknowledge
• address
• approach
• attend
• embrace
• hail
• meet
• receive
• salute
• shake hands
• stop