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View synonyms for high

high

[ hahy ]

adjective

, high·er, high·est.
  1. having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or vertically; lofty; tall:

    a high wall.

    Antonyms: low

  2. having a specified extent upward:

    The apple tree is now 20 feet high.

  3. situated above the ground or some base; elevated:

    a high platform;

    a high ledge.

  4. exceeding the common degree or measure; strong; intense:

    high speed;

    high color.

  5. expensive; costly; dear:

    The price of food these days is much too high.

  6. exalted in rank, station, eminence, etc.; of exalted character or quality:

    a high official;

    high society.

    Synonyms: distinguished, prominent, eminent, elevated

  7. Music.
    1. acute in pitch.
    2. a little sharp, or above the desired pitch.
  8. produced by relatively rapid vibrations; shrill:

    the high sounds of crickets.

  9. extending to or from an elevation:

    a high dive.

  10. great in quantity, as number, degree, or force:

    a high temperature;

    high cholesterol.

  11. Religion.
    1. chief; principal; main:

      the high altar of a church.

    2. High Church.
  12. of great consequence; important; grave; serious;

    the high consequences of such a deed;

    high treason.

    Synonyms: capital

  13. haughty; arrogant:

    He took a high tone with his subordinates.

  14. advanced to the utmost extent or to the culmination:

    high tide.

  15. elevated; merry or hilarious:

    high spirits;

    a high old time.

  16. rich; extravagant; luxurious:

    They have indulged in high living for years.

  17. Informal. intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics:

    He was so high he couldn't stand up.

  18. remote:

    high latitude;

    high antiquity.

  19. extreme in opinion or doctrine, especially religious or political:

    a high Tory.

  20. designating or pertaining to highland or inland regions.
  21. having considerable energy or potential power.
  22. 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.

  23. 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 49 ), low 1( def 30 ), mid 1( def 3 ).
  24. (of meat, especially game) tending toward a desirable or undesirable amount of decomposition; slightly tainted:

    He likes his venison high.

  25. Metallurgy. containing a relatively large amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination):

    high-carbon steel.

  26. Baseball. (of a pitched ball) crossing the plate at a level above the batter's shoulders:

    The pitch was high and outside.

  27. Cards.
    1. having greater value than other denominations or suits.
    2. able to take a trick; being a winning card.
    3. being or having a winning combination:

      Whose hand is high?

  28. Nautical. noting a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, equal to a whole gale.


adverb

, high·er, high·est.
  1. at or to a high point, place, or level.
  2. in or to a high rank or estimate:

    He aims high in his political ambitions.

  3. at or to a high amount or price.
  4. in or to a high degree.
  5. luxuriously; richly; extravagantly:

    They have always lived high.

  6. Nautical. as close to the wind as is possible while making headway with sails full.

noun

  1. Automotive. high gear:

    He shifted into high when the road became level.

  2. Meteorology. a pressure system characterized by relatively high pressure at its center. Compare anticyclone, low 1( def 46 ).
  3. a high or the highest point, place, or level; peak:

    a record high for unemployment.

  4. Slang.
    1. a euphoric state induced by alcohol, drugs, etc.
    2. a period of sustained excitement, exhilaration, or the like:

      After winning the lottery he was on a high for weeks.

  5. Cards. the ace or highest trump out, especially in games of the all fours family.

high

/ haɪ /

adjective

  1. being a relatively great distance from top to bottom; tall

    a high building

  2. situated at or extending to a relatively great distance above the ground or above sea level

    a high plateau

    1. postpositive being a specified distance from top to bottom

      three feet high

    2. ( in combination )

      a seven-foot-high wall

  3. extending from an elevation

    a high dive

  4. in combination coming up to a specified level

    knee-high

  5. being at its peak or point of culmination

    high noon

  6. of greater than average height

    a high collar

  7. greater than normal in degree, intensity, or amount

    high prices

    a high wind

    a high temperature

  8. of large or relatively large numerical value

    high frequency

    high mileage

    high voltage

  9. (of sound) acute in pitch; having a high frequency
  10. (of latitudes) situated relatively far north or south from the equator
  11. (of meat) slightly decomposed or tainted, regarded as enhancing the flavour of game
  12. of great eminence; very important

    the high priestess

  13. exalted in style or character; elevated

    high drama

  14. expressing or feeling contempt or arrogance

    high words

  15. elated; cheerful

    high spirits

  16. informal.
    predicative overexcited

    by the end of term the children are really high

  17. informal.
    being in a state of altered consciousness, characterized esp by euphoria and often induced by the use of alcohol, narcotics, etc
  18. luxurious or extravagant

    high life

  19. advanced in complexity or development

    high finance

  20. (of a gear) providing a relatively great forward speed for a given engine speed Compare low 1
  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
  22. capital when part of name formal and elaborate in style

    High Mass

  23. usually capital of or relating to the High Church
  24. remote, esp in time
  25. cards
    1. having a relatively great value in a suit
    2. able to win a trick
  26. high and dry
    stranded; helpless; destitute
  27. high and low
    in all places; everywhere
  28. high and mighty informal.
    arrogant
  29. high as a kite informal.
    1. very drunk
    2. overexcited
    3. euphoric from drugs
  30. high opinion
    a favourable opinion
“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

adverb

  1. at or to a height

    he jumped high

  2. in a high manner
  3. nautical close to the wind with sails full
“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

noun

  1. a high place or level
  2. informal.
    a state of altered consciousness, often induced by alcohol, narcotics, etc
  3. another word for anticyclone
  4. short for high school
  5. capital (esp in Oxford) the High Street
  6. electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical one Compare low 1
  7. on high
    1. at a height
    2. in heaven
“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
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Other Words From

  • over·high adjective
  • over·highly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of high1

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”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of high1

Old English hēah; related to Old Norse hār, Gothic hauhs, Old High German hōh high, Lithuanian kaũkas bump, Russian kúchča heap, Sanskrit kuča bosom
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. fly high, to be full of hope or elation:

    His stories began to sell, and he was flying high.

  2. high and dry,
    1. (of a ship) grounded so as to be entirely above water at low tide.
    2. in a deprived or distressing situation; deserted; stranded:

      We missed the last bus and were left high and dry.

  3. high and low, in every possible place; everywhere:

    The missing jewelry was never found, though we searched high and low for it.

  4. high on, Informal. enthusiastic or optimistic about; having a favorable attitude toward or opinion of.
  5. on high,
    1. at or to a height; above.
    2. in heaven.
    3. having a high position, as one who makes important decisions:

      the powers on high.

More idioms and phrases containing high

  • 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)
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Synonym Study

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.
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Example Sentences

Mothers with GDM face an increased risk of pregnancy complications and a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes later in life.

This software makes it possible to predict protein structures on the computer with high accuracy.

The prevalence of adult play in this especially cohesive population may strengthen the notion that "societies characterized by cohesion and tolerance also exhibit higher frequencies of adult play," Samuni says.

Indonesia is regarded as a hotspot – it has reported the highest number of incidents in the past two decades, according to MSF, largely down to the widespread production and consumption of bootleg liquor.

From BBC

Rain totals most areas will be under 1 inch through Sat night, but higher amounts are expected for the Santa Lucia mtns.

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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.

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