highlife

American

[hahy-lahyf] / ˈhaɪˌlaɪf /

noun

an expensive, glamorous, or elegant style of living.

highlife British

/ ˈhaɪˌlaɪf /

noun

1. a style of music combining West African elements with US jazz forms, found esp in the cities of West Africa
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a highlife band

"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 highlife

First recorded in 1755–65; high + life

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.

"Highlife is not dying, in my opinion," Nkansah said.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

"If you trace the origin of Highlife music, we can trace it to September 1925. And so, this year, 2025, we are celebrating 100 years of Ghanaian Highlife music."

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

An eclectic lineup of DJs play a mix of Afro rock, Sudanese jazz, Highlife, Afrobeats and Ethio-jazz.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2024

Highlife follows young successful black Brits like fashion designer Irene Agbontaen, Grammy-winning songwriter Kamille and DJ Cuppy.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2021

She's one of the stars of Channel 4's Highlife, the first reality show focusing on young British West Africans.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023