highflier

American  

[hahy-flahy-er] / ˈhaɪˈflaɪ ər /

Or high-flier,

noun

1. a person who is extravagant or goes to extremes in aims, pretensions, opinions, etc.

2. a person or thing that flies high.

3. a stock, often speculative, whose price moves up or down widely.

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Etymology

Origin of highflier

First recorded in 1680–90; high + flier

Example Sentences

The upcoming quarterly S&P 500 rebalance could usher in a promotion of sorts for at least one artificial-intelligence highflier.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

Tesla stock, once a market highflier, has vastly underperformed several of its Magnificent Seven peers as sales of its electric vehicles have slowed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

Still, I do know that when you own a highflier like Nvidia—an undeniably great company—bailing out after a 10 percent decline doesn’t make sense.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2024

But the proof offered by Citron for its explosive charge that Valeant is another accounting fraud like the onetime energy highflier Enron was more circumstantial than conclusive.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2015

“I’ll play the highflier to-night if I can, kid; though it’s a new game with Dan Dolan, I must say.”

From Killykinick by Waggaman, Mary T. (Mary Theresa)