highlife

American  

[hahy-lahyf] / ˈhaɪˌlaɪf /

noun

1. an expensive, glamorous, or elegant style of living.

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highlife British  

/ ˈhaɪˌlaɪf /

noun

1. 1. a style of music combining West African elements with US jazz forms, found esp in the cities of West Africa

   2. ( as modifier )

      a highlife band

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Etymology

Origin of highlife

First recorded in 1755–65; high + life

Example Sentences

Nigerian writer and poet Dami Ajayi described him as a "highlife maestro" and a "fantastic guitarist".

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

The exchange of ideas between the two would later be seen as formative to the development of Afrobeat, a political cocktail blending highlife with funk, jazz and soul.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

The DNA of highlife can be heard in Afrobeat's melodic sensibility and its balance between groove and sophistication.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

During the 1950s and 1960s, highlife music, pioneered by Ghanaian musicians such as ET Mensah, Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas, became a defining sound across West Africa.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Aimed to highlight “regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions,” genres including Afrobeats, amapiano, highlife, alte, fuji and kwassa will be eligible for nomination.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2023