high
having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or vertically; lofty; tall: a high wall.
having a specified extent upward: The apple tree is now 20 feet high.
situated above the ground or some base; elevated: a high platform;a high ledge.
exceeding the common degree or measure; strong; intense: high speed;high color.
expensive; costly; dear: The price of food these days is much too high.
exalted in rank, station, eminence, etc.; of exalted character or quality: a high official;high society.
Music.
acute in pitch.
a little sharp, or above the desired pitch.
produced by relatively rapid vibrations; shrill: the high sounds of crickets.
extending to or from an elevation: a high dive.
great in quantity, as number, degree, or force: a high temperature;high cholesterol.
Religion.
chief; principal; main: the high altar of a church.
High Church.
of great consequence; important; grave; serious; the high consequences of such a deed;high treason.
haughty; arrogant: He took a high tone with his subordinates.
advanced to the utmost extent or to the culmination: high tide.
elevated; merry or hilarious: high spirits;a high old time.
rich; extravagant; luxurious: They have indulged in high living for years.
Informal. intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics: He was so high he couldn't stand up.
remote: high latitude;high antiquity.
extreme in opinion or doctrine, especially religious or political: a high Tory.
designating or pertaining to highland or inland regions.
having considerable energy or potential power.
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.
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.: Compare close (def. 53), low1 (def. 30).
(of meat, especially game) tending toward a desirable or undesirable amount of decomposition; slightly tainted: He likes his venison high.
Metallurgy. containing a relatively large amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination): high-carbon steel.
Baseball. (of a pitched ball) crossing the plate at a level above the batter's shoulders: The pitch was high and outside.
Cards.
having greater value than other denominations or suits.
able to take a trick; being a winning card.
being or having a winning combination: Whose hand is high?
Nautical. noting a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, equal to a whole gale.
at or to a high point, place, or level.
in or to a high rank or estimate: He aims high in his political ambitions.
at or to a high amount or price.
in or to a high degree.
luxuriously; richly; extravagantly: They have always lived high.
Nautical. as close to the wind as is possible while making headway with sails full.
Automotive. high gear: He shifted into high when the road became level.
Informal. high school.
Meteorology. a pressure system characterized by relatively high pressure at its center.: Compare anticyclone, low1 (def. 46).
a high or the highest point, place, or level; peak: a record high for unemployment.
Slang.
a euphoric state induced by alcohol, drugs, etc.
a period of sustained excitement, exhilaration, or the like: After winning the lottery he was on a high for weeks.
Cards. the ace or highest trump out, especially in games of the all fours family.
Idioms about high
fly high, to be full of hope or elation: His stories began to sell, and he was flying high.
high and dry,
(of a ship) grounded so as to be entirely above water at low tide.
high and low, in every possible place; everywhere: The missing jewelry was never found, though we searched high and low for it.
high on, Informal. enthusiastic or optimistic about; having a favorable attitude toward or opinion of.
on high,
at or to a height; above.
in heaven.
having a high position, as one who makes important decisions: the powers on high.
Origin of high
1synonym study For high
Other words for high
Opposites for high
Other words from high
- o·ver·high, adjective
- o·ver·high·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with high
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use high in a sentence
How to Train Your Dragon 2, the tenth highest grossing movie in 2014 America, made $22 million at the Korean box office.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea | Rich Goldstein | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut even they should see the marches as expressions of our best and highest ideals.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face? | Goldie Taylor | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe highest number of deaths came from Malaysian workers, of which 42,000 out of 75,000 died.
Michigan supposedly offered 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh a $42 million contract, which would him the highest-paid coach in the NCAA.
Is Any College Football Coach Worth $60 Million? Jim Harbaugh Is | Jesse Lawrence | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe highest form of political courage is doing the right thing when the mob is against it.
The whole aim is to secure the development of character by the expression of the highest elements of character.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickWe would classify these two departments in this way, though in the highest dramatic work elements of both phases are combined.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickAfter breakfast I hurried off to the station, where I met the others, everybody being in the highest spirits.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayThe country is undulating and beautiful, mainly devoted to Grass, Wheat and Wood, and in the very highest condition.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThe clerical staff in all the offices had combined and presented a petition in the highest quarter.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph Tatlow
British Dictionary definitions for high
/ (haɪ) /
being a relatively great distance from top to bottom; tall: a high building
situated at or extending to a relatively great distance above the ground or above sea level: a high plateau
(postpositive) being a specified distance from top to bottom: three feet high
(in combination): a seven-foot-high wall
extending from an elevation: a high dive
(in combination) coming up to a specified level: knee-high
being at its peak or point of culmination: high noon
of greater than average height: a high collar
greater than normal in degree, intensity, or amount: high prices; a high temperature; a high wind
of large or relatively large numerical value: high frequency; high voltage; high mileage
(of sound) acute in pitch; having a high frequency
(of latitudes) situated relatively far north or south from the equator
(of meat) slightly decomposed or tainted, regarded as enhancing the flavour of game
of great eminence; very important: the high priestess
exalted in style or character; elevated: high drama
expressing or feeling contempt or arrogance: high words
elated; cheerful: high spirits
(predicative) informal overexcited: by the end of term the children are really high
informal being in a state of altered consciousness, characterized esp by euphoria and often induced by the use of alcohol, narcotics, etc
luxurious or extravagant: high life
advanced in complexity or development: high finance
(of a gear) providing a relatively great forward speed for a given engine speed: Compare low 1 (def. 21)
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 (def. 20)
(capital when part of name) formal and elaborate in style: High Mass
(usually capital) of or relating to the High Church
remote, esp in time
cards
having a relatively great value in a suit
able to win a trick
high and dry stranded; helpless; destitute
high and low in all places; everywhere
high and mighty informal arrogant
high as a kite informal
very drunk
overexcited
euphoric from drugs
high opinion a favourable opinion
at or to a height: he jumped high
in a high manner
nautical close to the wind with sails full
a high place or level
informal a state of altered consciousness, often induced by alcohol, narcotics, etc
another word for anticyclone
short for high school
(capital) (esp in Oxford) the High Street
electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical one: Compare low 1 (def. 30)
on high
at a height
in heaven
Origin of high
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with high
In addition to the idioms beginning with high
- high and dry
- high and low
- high and mighty
- high as a kite
- high gear
- high hopes
- high horse
- high jinks
- high off the hog, eat
- high on
- high places, friends in
- high seas
- high sign
- high time
also see:
- blow sky-high
- fly high
- friend in court (high places)
- hell or high water
- hit the high spots (points)
- hold one's head high
- in high dudgeon
- knee-high to a grasshopper
- on high
- on one's high horse
- ride high
- run high
- stink to high heaven
- think a lot (highly) of
- turn on (get high)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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