highbrow

[ hahy-brou ]

noun

1. a person of superior intellectual interests and tastes.
2. a person with intellectual or cultural pretensions; intellectual snob.
3. the crestfish.

adjective

1. Also highbrowed. of, relating to, or characteristic of a highbrow.

   Synonyms: pseudointellectual, snobbish, bookish, cultured, scholarly, intellectual

highbrow

/ ˈhaɪˌbraʊ /

noun

1. a person of scholarly and erudite tastes

adjective

1. appealing to highbrows

   highbrow literature

Other Words From

• high·brow·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of highbrow¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; high + brow

Example Sentences

But “Conclave” has the feel of the sort of highbrow picture that, over the years, has landed with Oscar voters.

From Los Angeles Times

Wainwright is accustomed to bringing high culture into, shall we say, less than highbrow arenas; after all, his sublime version of “Hallelujah” originated on the soundtrack for “Shrek.”

From Los Angeles Times

Another potential mistake for composers is to create music driven purely by highbrow intellectualism or a desire to experiment past the point of viability.

From Salon

The decision to make the new show highbrow and news-heavy was based on a mistaken belief that the BBC would do the same.

From BBC

To go and see the theater one day, and then go to a Disney park, one is highbrow and one is lowbrow and that’s elitist.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cerebral
• scholarly