knee-high

American  

[nee-hahy, nee-hahy] / ˈniˈhaɪ, ˈniˌhaɪ /

adjective

1. as high as the knees.

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noun

1. knee-highs. Also knee highs, knee-hi's, knee his socks, stockings, or boots that cover the lower legs to just below the knees.

knee-high British  

adjective

1. another word for knee-deep

2. as high as the knee

   a knee-high child

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Etymology

Origin of knee-high

An Americanism dating back to 1735–45

Example Sentences

In Nyakach, in the west, children walked through knee-high water and residents scooped water from inundated houses -- though some were submerged up to the roof.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

Or the time when she appeared next to Belichick on the sidelines on game day wearing a reptile mini-skirt and knee-high boots.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

Shot primarily knee-high, framing shots as a dog would see them, we follow Indy through various scenes of creeping and then crashing dread as though we're hanging from his collar.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2025

I rock a Beatle wig and knee-high boots.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

She wore a spectacular outfit: close-fitting pants, a layered tunic studded with whorls of iron, and knee-high boots; she carried her wooden staff, which stretched as high as her head.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Related Words

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• limited
• meager
• microscopic
• miniature
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• short
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