high-rise

American  

[hahy-rahyz] / ˈhaɪˌraɪz /

Or highrise

adjective

1. (of a building) having a comparatively large number of stories and equipped with elevators.

   a high-rise apartment complex.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of high-rise buildings.

3. of or being a small-wheeled bicycle with high handlebars and a banana-shaped seat.

4. (of pants) having a waistline placed at or above the navel, or at the natural waist.

   high-rise chinos.

---

noun

1. Also high rise, a high-rise apartment or office building.

high-rise British  

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) of or relating to a building that has many storeys, esp one used for flats or offices Compare low-rise

      a high-rise block

   2. ( as noun )

      a high-rise in Atlanta

---

Etymology

Origin of high-rise

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high-rise

Coming from Victorville, he wasn’t used to areas with no light and didn’t understand how it could travel through different tunnels down the street, reflecting so spectacularly off high-rise buildings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Or stay home and face the risk of a hit, particularly dangerous for those in high-rise buildings in heavily targeted districts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

I ended up in a brand new “super luxury” high-rise in Miami’s Brickell area that was just about to open.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Footage confirmed by BBC Verify showed damage to a high-rise building in Chekhov, south of the capital and a fire at a warehouse in Berezhki to the west.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The Olympic Village was actually made up of more than thirty white high-rise apartment buildings meant to house the 18,000 Olympic athletes coming to the city.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• big
• great
• huge
• immense
• large
• lofty
• long
• soaring
• steep
• tremendous