highflier

noun

high·​fli·​er ˈhī-ˈflī(-ə)r 

variants or highflyer

1

: a stock whose price rises much more rapidly than the market average

2

: a company whose stock is a highflier

3

: an ambitiously competitive person with high aspirations

Synonyms

• bootstrapper
• go-ahead
• go-getter
• hummer
• hustler
• live wire
• powerhouse
• self-starter

Examples of highflier in a Sentence

one of New York's largest law firms, it attracts highfliers looking for a big-time legal career

Recent Examples on the Web

Peloton had been a highflier during the pandemic, when lockdowns sent customers scrambling to buy its stationary bikes and attend classes. —Maria Halkias and Alexandra Skores, Dallas News, 8 Feb. 2022

Sam Bankman-Fried is the latest highflier to learn that lesson. —Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 16 Dec. 2022

The deal, the exact dollar figure of which remained unclear, represents quite a comedown for the one-time highflier. —Amy Feldman, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2021

At first look, Biogen seems more like a plodding drugmaker than a pending highflier: The neurology specialist boasts a market cap of about $46 billion. —Charley Grant, WSJ, 26 Aug. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1961, in the meaning defined at sense 1