high and mighty

¹

noun

, (used with a plural verb)

1. persons who are members of or identify with the higher social strata of society, especially those who are powerful or arrogant.

adverb

1. in a self-important, grandiose, or arrogant manner:

   They talk high and mighty, but they owe everyone in town.

   Now don't go getting all high and mighty on me.

high-and-mighty

²

[ hahy-uhn-mahy-tee, -uhnd- ]

adjective

1. haughty; arrogant.

Other Words From

• high-and-mighti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of high and mighty¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English: originally a title of dignity

Idioms and Phrases

Conceited, haughty, as in She was too high and mighty to make her own bed . This expression originally alluded to high-born rulers and was being transferred to the merely arrogant by the mid-1600s.

Example Sentences

Yes, the English, and very high and mighty.

From Literature

“And people are welcome to label things however they want, but there’s frankly nobody else doing the reporting that we do. ... That’s what ten million people are subscribing to The New York Times for … And not to like sound too high and mighty, but the market has spoken, and they like what we’re doing.”

From Salon

But many of the videos are released by police and feature people who have come under far more pressure than the high and mighty of Russia's pop scene.

From BBC

In his 2002 book High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV, Keith Bradsher wrote that “AMC promoted the Jeep’s four-wheel drive even though its engineers and executives knew that it had little value for urban buyers.”

From Slate

In the early 1990s, Bradsher notes in High and Mighty, Ford’s profit margins on its Explorer SUV exceeded 30 percent.

From Slate

Related Words

• arrogant
• haughty

More About High And Mighty

What does high and mighty mean?

High and mighty is often used as an adverb meaning in an arrogant or self-important manner, as in Please stop acting so high and mighty—you’re not the boss here.

The word mighty means strong, powerful, or of great importance.

When someone acts as if they are superior or in charge, they can be said to be acting high and mighty. This is especially the case when they’re not actually superior or in charge.

High and mighty can also be used as an adjective, in which case it’s often hyphenated (high-and-mighty), as in Take your high-and-mighty attitude elsewhere—we work as a team here.

The phrase can also be used as a collective noun to refer to people who are considered powerful, as in The high and mighty take too much and give too little. The word mighty can be used in the same way, as in The rich and mighty hold all the power.

Example: Don’t get all high and mighty with me—I’m the one who trained you.

Where does high and mighty come from?

The first records of the phrase high and mighty come from around 1400.

Originally, being called high and mighty was a good thing—it was a title given to high-born rulers. By the 1600s, though, it came to be used to describe those who acted as if they were superior to those around them, as if they were royalty and everyone else was peasants. This is still how high and mighty is used today.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to high and mighty?

• high-and-mighty (hyphenated adjective)
• high and mightiness (noun)

What are some synonyms for high and mighty?

• arrogantly
• conceitedly
• haughtily
• arrogant
• conceited
• haughty
• superior

What are some words that share a root or word element with high and mighty? 

• high
• mighty
• high horse

What are some words that often get used in discussing high and mighty?

• act
• get
• all
• better

How is high and mighty used in real life?

High and mighty is almost always used in a negative way.

Y’all better stop acting all high and mighty!!!

— elexus jionde (@Lexual__) December 1, 2020

I don't understand why you'd befriend someone younger than you and not respect them. Don't befriend them if you want to act so high and mighty.

— Yuno (@Ummaty_) December 20, 2020

some of y’all rlly out here acting all high and mighty then not sticking to what you preach lmfao. hypocrisy at its ~finest~, but you do you 🐸🍵

— spoingus (@edm_spoingus) September 16, 2020

Try using high and mighty!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of high and mighty?

A. conceitedly

B. arrogantly

C. haughtily

D. humbly