high horse

noun

1. a haughty attitude or temper; a contemptuous manner.

high horse

1. To be on one's “high horse” is to be disdainful or conceited: “Sally got tired of Peter's snobbery and finally told him to get off his high horse.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of high horse¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Idioms and Phrases

see on one's high horse .

Example Sentences

Why must we sit up on our high horse and act like books are the one thing you can never get rid of?

From Salon

“If you don’t want to get off your high horse to see what we like, then it’s natural that you will be washed-out,” Ms. Li said.

From New York Times

Daniel Roher just knocked Putin off his high horse, dedicating his Oscar to political prisoners around the world.

From Los Angeles Times

“Sometimes college students don’t understand the severity of things,” Oats said from his high horse following the game.

From Washington Post

He was up on his social-justice high horse for only about a year.

From Washington Post