high

1 of 3

adjective

ˈhī 

1

a

: rising or extending upward a great distance : taller than average, usual, or expected

a high wall

a high fly ball

b

: having a specified height or elevation : tall

six feet high

—often used in combination

sky-high

waist-high

c

: situated or passing above the normal level, surface, base of measurement, or elevation

the high desert

2

a(1)

: advanced toward the acme or culmination

high summer

(2)

: advanced toward the most active or culminating period

on the Riviera during high season

(3)

: constituting the late, most fully developed, or most creative stage or period

high Gothic

(4)

: advanced in complexity, development, or elaboration

the higher primates including humans

higher mathematics

b

: verging on lateness

—usually used in the phrase high time

It's high time he won an award.

c

: long past : remote

high antiquity

3

: elevated in pitch (see pitch entry 4 sense 4b(1))

a high note

4

: relatively far from the equator

high latitude

5

: rich in quality : luxurious

high living

6

: slightly tainted or spoiled

high game meat

also : malodorous

smelled rather high

7

: exalted or elevated in character : noble

high purposes

8

: of greater degree, amount, cost, value, or content than average, usual, or expected

high prices

high temperatures

high blood pressure

traveling at a high rate of speed

unemployment was high

9

: of relatively great importance: such as

a

: foremost in rank, dignity, or standing

high officials

b

: serious, grave

high crimes

c

: observed with the utmost solemnity

high religious observances

d

: critical, climactic

the high point of the novel

e

: intellectually or artistically of the first order or best quality

high culture

f

: marked by sublime, heroic, or stirring events or subject matter

high tragedy

a tale of high adventure

10

: forcible, strong

high winds

11

: stressing matters of doctrine and ceremony

specifically : high church

12

a

: filled with or expressing great joy or excitement

high spirits

b

: intoxicated by or as if by a drug or alcohol

high on cocaine

13

: articulated or pronounced with some part of the tongue close to the palate

a high vowel

high

2 of 3

adverb

1

: at or to a high place, altitude, level, or degree

climbed higher

passions ran high

2

: well, luxuriously

—often used in the phrases high off the hog and high on the hog

high

3 of 3

noun

1

: an elevated place or region: such as

a

: hill, knoll

b

: the space overhead : sky

—usually used with on

birds wheeling on high

c

: heaven

—usually used with on

wisdom from on high

2

: a region where the pressure of the atmosphere is greater than normal : a region of high barometric pressure

a high moving out to the east

called also anticyclone

3

a

: a point or level of greater amount, number, or degree than average or expected : a high point or level

sales reached a new high

mostly sunny with highs in the 80s

the highs and lows of her career

b

: the transmission gear of a vehicle (such as an automobile) giving the greatest speed of travel

put it into high

4

a

: an excited, euphoric, or stupefied state produced by or as if by a drug

produces a high that lasts several hours

coming down from the high of their wedding day

b

: a state of elation or high spirits

the high of victory

Phrases

high on

: enthusiastically in approval or support of

party leaders high on a new candidate

Synonyms

Adjective

• altitudinous
• lofty
• tall
• towering

Adverb

• expensively
• extravagantly
• fatly
• grandly
• large
• lavishly
• luxuriously
• opulently
• palatially
• plushly
• richly
• sumptuously

Noun

• cloud nine
• ecstasy
• elatedness
• elation
• euphoria
• exhilaration
• heaven
• intoxication
• paradise
• rapture
• rhapsody
• seventh heaven
• swoon
• transport

Choose the Right Synonym for high

high, tall, lofty mean above the average in height.

high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill

a high ceiling

tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

Examples of high in a Sentence

Adjective

The apartment has high ceilings.

The airplane was high above the clouds.

The bush is six feet high.

a building 100 stories high

They have a home in the high country.

The houses are built on high ground.

They reached speeds as high as 100 mph.

He's being treated for high blood pressure.

She earns a high salary.

His books are in high demand.

Adverb

The painter climbed high on the ladder.

The hawks were circling high in the air.

The letters were stacked high on the table.

buy low and sell high

Noun

Oil prices reached a new high last winter.

The forecast is for showers with highs in the 70s.

The high only lasted a few minutes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Federal regulators predict strong economic growth and a more robust job market in 2025, along with higher inflation. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024

Life expectancy at birth is 82, a little higher than the OECD average of 81 years–the average man can expect to live to 79 and women to 85. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Adverb

Footage of performances by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company is projected high above the show, but the focus, mainly, is art that doesn’t bear an explicit tie to Ailey himself. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 19 Dec. 2024

Those changes are less obvious than 30 Rock’s would be because most of that neon is — was — high above the street. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 17 Dec. 2024

Noun

Still, with home prices near all-time highs and still rising nationally, albeit more slowly, many would-be homebuyers are probably holding out for mortgage rates to ease further in coming months. —Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024

The Hungarian Countess Louise J. Esterhazy was a revered — and feared — chronicler of the highs — and generally lows — of fashion, society, culture and more. —Louis J. Esterhazy, WWD, 8 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, and Noun

Middle English, from Old English hēah; akin to Old High German hōh high, Lithuanian kaukaras hill

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing high

• aim high
• as high as a kite
• be (in) for the high jump
• be riding high
• come hell or high water
• extremely high frequency
• fly high
• friends in high places
• from on high
• have a high opinion of (something)
• have a high regard for
• hell or high water
• high achiever
• high altar
• high analysis
• high and dry
• high and low
• high-and-mighty
• high beam
• high blood pressure
• high chair
• high cholesterol
• high-class
• high comedy
• high command
• high commissioner
• high-concept
• high-count
• high court
• high day
• high days and holidays
• high-def
• high-definition
• high-density lipoprotein
• high drama
• high-end
• high-energy
• high-energy physics
• high explosive
• high fashion
• high fidelity
• high finance
• high five
• high-flown
• high-flying
• high frequency
• high gear
• high-grade
• high-grading
• high ground
• high-handed
• high hat
• high-heeled
• high heels
• high hopes
• high horse
• high-impact
• high in
• high-intensity interval training
• high jinks
• high jump
• high-level
• high-low-jack
• high/low profile
• high-maintenance
• high mass
• high-minded
• high-muck-a-muck
• high-muckety-muck
• high noon
• high-octane
• high off the hog
• high on one's list
• high on the hog
• high on the list
• high pain threshold
• high performance
• high-pitched
• high place
• high point
• high polymer
• high-power
• high-powered
• high-pressure
• high priest
• high priestess
• high-profile
• high quality
• high-ranking
• high relief
• high rise
• high-risk
• high road
• high roller
• high school
• high school reunion
• high sea
• high-security
• high sign
• high-sounding
• high-speed
• high-spirited
• high-sticking
• high street
• high-strung
• high style
• high summer
• high table
• high tea
• high tech
• high technology
• high-tension
• high-test
• high-ticket
• high tide
• high-toned
• high-top
• high/top marks
• high treason
• high tunnel
• high-up
• high-voltage
• high water
• high-water mark
• high-wire
• high-wire act
• high-wrought
• high yaller
• high yellow
• hit the high points
• hit the high spots
• hold one's head (up) high
• hold (someone or something) in high regard
• in high dudgeon
• in high places
• in high spirits
• in high style
• in/into high gear
• it's high time
• junior high school
• kicks/moves into high gear
• knee-high
• knee-high to a grasshopper
• mile high club
• on a high
• on a high note
• on high
• place a high value on
• ride high
• run high
• runner's high
• senior high school
• shoulder-high
• sky-high
• stand high/low with (someone)
• stinks to high heaven
• take a high polish
• the high ground
• the high jump
• the high road
• the moral high ground
• to high heaven
• took the high road
• very high frequency
• waist-high

Kids Definition

high

1 of 3 adjective

ˈhī 

1

a

: extending to a great distance upward : having greater height than average or usual

rooms with high ceilings

b

: having a specified elevation

six feet high

2

: advanced toward fullness

high summer

3

: shrill entry 2, sharp

high note

4

: far from the equator

high latitude

5

: noble entry 1 sense 5

a writer of high purpose

6

: of greater degree, size, amount, or content than average or ordinary

high pressure

high power of a microscope

7

: of relatively great importance: as

a

: first in rank or standing

high society

b

: serious sense 4, grave

high crimes

8

: strong sense 7

high winds

9

a

: showing joy or excitement

high spirits

b

: drunk entry 2 sense 1

also : affected or impaired by or as if by a drug

10

: advanced or complex in structure or development

higher mathematics

higher fungi

high

2 of 3 adverb

1

: at or to a high place, altitude, or degree

climbed high

2

: richly sense 1, luxuriously

living high

high

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: hill entry 1 sense 1, knoll

b

: sky sense 1

watched the birds on high

c

: heaven sense 2

a judgment from on high

2

: a region of high barometric pressure : anticyclone

3

a

: a high point or level : height

prices reached a new high

b

: the arrangement of gears (as in an automobile) that gives the highest speed and consequently the highest speed of travel

4

: a state of good feeling, excitement, or intoxication produced by or as if by a drug

Medical Definition

high

1 of 2 adjective

ˈhī 

1

: having a complex organization : greatly differentiated or developed phylogenetically

—usually used in the comparative degree of advanced types of plants and animals

the higher algae

the higher apes

compare low

2

a

: exhibiting elation or euphoric excitement

a high patient

b

: being intoxicated

also : excited or stupefied by or as if by a drug (as marijuana or heroin)

high

2 of 2 noun

: an excited, euphoric, or stupefied state

especially : one produced by or as if by a drug (as heroin)