View synonyms for high

high

[ hahy ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

, high·er, high·est.

having a great or considerable extent or reach upward or vertically; lofty; tall:
a high wall.
Antonyms: low
having a specified extent upward:
The apple tree is now 20 feet high.
situated above the ground or some base; elevated:
a high platform;
a high ledge.
exceeding the common degree or measure; strong; intense:
high speed;
high color.
expensive; costly; dear:
The price of food these days is much too high.
exalted in rank, station, eminence, etc.; of exalted character or quality:
a high official;
high society.
Synonyms: distinguished, prominent, eminent, elevated
Music.
1. acute in pitch.
2. a little sharp, or above the desired pitch.
produced by relatively rapid vibrations; shrill:
the high sounds of crickets.
extending to or from an elevation:
a high dive.
great in quantity, as number, degree, or force:
a high temperature;
high cholesterol.
Religion.
1. chief; principal; main:
  the high altar of a church.
2. High Church.
of great consequence; important; grave; serious;
the high consequences of such a deed;
high treason.
Synonyms: capital
haughty; arrogant:
He took a high tone with his subordinates.
advanced to the utmost extent or to the culmination:
high tide.
elevated; merry or hilarious:
high spirits;
a high old time.
rich; extravagant; luxurious:
They have indulged in high living for years.
Informal. intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics:
He was so high he couldn't stand up.
remote:
high latitude;
high antiquity.
extreme in opinion or doctrine, especially religious or political:
a high Tory.
designating or pertaining to highland or inland regions.
having considerable energy or potential power.
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.
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 ).
(of meat, especially game) tending toward a desirable or undesirable amount of decomposition; slightly tainted:
He likes his venison high.
Metallurgy. containing a relatively large amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination):
high-carbon steel.
Baseball. (of a pitched ball) crossing the plate at a level above the batter's shoulders:
The pitch was high and outside.
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?
Nautical. noting a wind of force 10 on the Beaufort scale, equal to a whole gale.

adverb

, high·er, high·est.

at or to a high point, place, or level.
in or to a high rank or estimate:
He aims high in his political ambitions.
at or to a high amount or price.
in or to a high degree.
luxuriously; richly; extravagantly:
They have always lived high.
Nautical. as close to the wind as is possible while making headway with sails full.

noun

Automotive. high gear:
He shifted into high when the road became level.
Informal. high school ( def ).
Meteorology. a pressure system characterized by relatively high pressure at its center. Compare anticyclone, low ¹( def 46 ).
a high or the highest point, place, or level; peak:
a record high for unemployment.
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.
Cards. the ace or highest trump out, especially in games of the all fours family.

high

/ haɪ /

adjective

being a relatively great distance from top to bottom; tall
a high building
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
extending from an elevation
a high dive
in combination coming up to a specified level
knee-high
being at its peak or point of culmination
high noon
of greater than average height
a high collar
greater than normal in degree, intensity, or amount
high prices
a high wind
a high temperature
of large or relatively large numerical value
high frequency
high mileage
high voltage
(of sound) acute in pitch; having a high frequency
(of latitudes) situated relatively far north or south from the equator
(of meat) slightly decomposed or tainted, regarded as enhancing the flavour of game
of great eminence; very important
the high priestess
exalted in style or character; elevated
high drama
expressing or feeling contempt or arrogance
high words
elated; cheerful
high spirits
informal.
predicative overexcited
by the end of term the children are really high
informal.
being in a state of altered consciousness, characterized esp by euphoria and often induced by the use of alcohol, narcotics, etc
luxurious or extravagant
high life
advanced in complexity or development
high finance
(of a gear) providing a relatively great forward speed for a given engine speed Compare low 1
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
capital when part of name formal and elaborate in style
High Mass
usually capital of or relating to the High Church
remote, esp in time
cards
1. having a relatively great value in a suit
2. able to win a trick
high and dry
stranded; helpless; destitute
high and low
in all places; everywhere
high and mighty informal.
arrogant
high as a kite informal.
1. very drunk
2. overexcited
3. euphoric from drugs
high opinion
a favourable opinion

adverb

at or to a height
he jumped high
in a high manner
nautical close to the wind with sails full

noun

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

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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

fly high, to be full of hope or elation:
His stories began to sell, and he was flying high.
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.
high and low, in every possible place; everywhere:
The missing jewelry was never found, though we searched high and low for it.
high on, Informal. enthusiastic or optimistic about; having a favorable attitude toward or opinion of.
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

To scholars of authoritarianism, asserting a high degree of personal control over the military is typical of global strongmen in the mold of Syria’s Bashar Assad or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From Los Angeles Times

The high cost of baby formula is forcing many parents to "resort to extreme and unsafe measures to feed their babies", an MP has told the Commons.

From BBC

Two doctors and a High Court judge would have to verify that they were eligible, and had made their decision voluntarily.

From BBC

Lyn Anne MacKinnon told the High Court in Edinburgh she heard what sounded like shots and then found her husband standing in the kitchen, before he collapsed into her arms.

From BBC

So I think your chance to recruit a high school guy like an Eric Freeny that’s going to be with you for a long time, that’s your chance maybe to still do it like the old days.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

Higgs boson high altar

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