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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. (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

"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-rise

First recorded in 1950–55


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:

Nairobi is undergoing a rapid construction boom, with high-rise buildings appearing all over the city, particularly in Eastleigh which is known for its busy market areas and as a hub for the Somali community.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

The complex fills a city block in the financial district with an office skyscraper, the high-rise Sheraton Grand hotel and a shopping center that is home to a Uniqlo and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

BBC Verify has confirmed the images are genuine and the apparent missile fragments came down in an area of open land surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

They live in a high-rise on Kyiv’s left bank, east of the broad river Dnipro.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

There are high-rise offices and impressive, colorful buildings, like the Metropolitan Theater, Crystal Arcade, and Jai Alai Building, a sports complex that is considered the finest art deco building in Asia.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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