high
Americanadjective
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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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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
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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
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having a relatively great value in a suit
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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:
Both are English midfielders, both are operating at a high level.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
However, the high pressure we have had for a long time now is actually going to move westward, in something known as retrogression.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Some analysts warn that if the 10-year yield breaks through its recent high of 4.687%, its rise could accelerate while traders search for a new equilibrium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
A spokesperson for the Italian Civil Protection Agency told AFP the situation in Sicily was "serious" and that the fires were "being fuelled by very high temperatures and very dry soil".
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Another starched and ruffled maid was passing a tray heaped high with cakes.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Forecasters aren’t expecting the heat to break any temperature records but said that some places, including Woodland Hills, Van Nuys and Palmdale, might come within a few degrees of setting new daily highs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
They’re well off their 2025 highs, but the supply-demand situation in credit markets has remained fairly balanced.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Captain Maro Itoje will return from a rare summer break refreshed, and his side have now experienced the highs of a 12-game winning run and the lows of a five-game losing streak.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
However, his room for maneuver is constrained because both the tax burden and government borrowing are already near historic highs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The highs and lows on that particular holiday had been intense.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
According to MGI, the U.S. now accounts for almost half of all equities held globally, a significantly higher share than in the past.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Terri Gomez, a 27-year veteran in higher education and a lifelong resident of the Inland Empire, is currently the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona, a university statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Chey’s ex-wife now wants an appeals court to grant her a higher proportion of Chey’s fortune, fattened by the global AI frenzy, using an updated asset valuation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Those two factors “complicate the Fed story,” he said, adding that the chance of a rate hike at next week’s U.S. central bank meeting were edging higher.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I’m upset because he wins. His GPA was half a point higher than mine and that’s it. Competition over. I can never even the score.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
According to DMV data, the cities with the highest enrollment include San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Irvine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation, while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States," he said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Cohen’s fortune allowed the Mets to have the highest payroll in the sport at the start of this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"It's competition at the highest level," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Oh, I suppose they might auction off the land to the highest bidder.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
