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 combinationsky-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
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
c
: observed with the utmost solemnity
high religious observances
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
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
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
1
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
Synonyms
Adjective
Adverb
- expensively
- extravagantly
- fatly
- grandly
- large
- lavishly
- luxuriously
- opulently
- palatially
- plushly
- richly
- sumptuously
Noun
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
Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
These are heavy, bulky boxes, and yet our profitability has never been higher.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
As a result, the White House does not believe raising the steel tariffs risks further increasing inflation, which has remained high despite recent economic gains.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
The stakes of bullying are high, and schools must take multiple approaches that address the direct incident and work to create an environment where bullying is less likely to occur, said Chad Rose, a professor of special education at the University of Missouri.
—Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
There were 24 cases of leptospirosis in the city in 2023, higher than in any prior year, according to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
But multiple constitutional experts have told TIME that the evidence does not reach the high bar of high crimes and misdemeanors set by the U.S. Constitution.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Shoppers also love that the high waist actually stays up, while others appreciate that they’re not see-through.
—Leonora Epstein, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Both structures have been heavily eroded due to rising sea levels and now only stand several feet high.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024
The track concurrently reached No. 6 high on the all-genre Billboard Global 200 last October.
—Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
Correspondent Lilia Luciano visits a family farm high atop the mountains outside of Medellin, where four generations have been working the fields; and attends the annual Festival of the Flowers (Feria de las Flores) to celebrate the beauty and bounty of their blooms.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Trout’s second shot — a 473-foot blast in the sixth — landed in the walkway high above the wall in left-center field.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Eli Morgan entered for the Guardians and didn’t throw a strike to Toro, who watched a 90-mph fastball sail high to essentially end the 2 ½-hour affair.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Residing high up in the stratosphere about 30 miles above Earth's surface, the vortex is most prominent during the winter.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
During various songs, she was lifted high above the floor in a carriage and moved from one end of the arena to the other, all the while singing and dancing 30 feet above the crowd.
—Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
By the end of the '90s, her star was flying high with leading roles in Se7en (1995), Emma (1996), Sliding Doors (1998), and her Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning turn in Shakespeare in Love (1998).
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2024
David Streit, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
High-dosage products, or low-dosage products taken in greater quantities, can deliver a powerful high.
—John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination | Amy Yurkanin, Al.com, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
Due to a lighter wind and abundant sunshine, highs will reach the mid to upper 70s.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
Gold prices are already close to record highs as tensions flare in the Middle East.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
The Fed's rate stands at a 23-year high of 5.3% after 11 rate hikes beginning two years ago.
—Christopher Rugaber, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024
This extra support was invaluable for a first-time Mama like me, fresh from the hospital and navigating both the high of new motherhood and the low of post-surgical recovery from an emergency C-section.
—Rivea Ruff, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Arizona weather was pure desert spring A high of 93 degrees on the opening day of an outdoor festival in early April?
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Helix’s Shon Martin smashed the fifth hurdle with his hip and any chance to coming back to win the 110 highs was lost despite lowering the section record the last two weeks to the current 13.72 seconds.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
Adjective
And financial analysts anticipate the number to be much, much higher, with several raising their price targets on the stock — which has zoomed 86% in the last 12 months — ahead of the Q1 earnings report based on upward revisions to their financial estimates.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
These are heavy, bulky boxes, and yet our profitability has never been higher.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
As a result, the White House does not believe raising the steel tariffs risks further increasing inflation, which has remained high despite recent economic gains.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
The stakes of bullying are high, and schools must take multiple approaches that address the direct incident and work to create an environment where bullying is less likely to occur, said Chad Rose, a professor of special education at the University of Missouri.
—Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
There were 24 cases of leptospirosis in the city in 2023, higher than in any prior year, according to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
—Jon Haworth, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
But multiple constitutional experts have told TIME that the evidence does not reach the high bar of high crimes and misdemeanors set by the U.S. Constitution.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Shoppers also love that the high waist actually stays up, while others appreciate that they’re not see-through.
—Leonora Epstein, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Both structures have been heavily eroded due to rising sea levels and now only stand several feet high.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Adverb
The safety problem gets much easier by keeping the drone way up high.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024
The track concurrently reached No. 6 high on the all-genre Billboard Global 200 last October.
—Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
Correspondent Lilia Luciano visits a family farm high atop the mountains outside of Medellin, where four generations have been working the fields; and attends the annual Festival of the Flowers (Feria de las Flores) to celebrate the beauty and bounty of their blooms.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
Trout’s second shot — a 473-foot blast in the sixth — landed in the walkway high above the wall in left-center field.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Eli Morgan entered for the Guardians and didn’t throw a strike to Toro, who watched a 90-mph fastball sail high to essentially end the 2 ½-hour affair.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024
Residing high up in the stratosphere about 30 miles above Earth's surface, the vortex is most prominent during the winter.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
During various songs, she was lifted high above the floor in a carriage and moved from one end of the arena to the other, all the while singing and dancing 30 feet above the crowd.
—Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024
By the end of the '90s, her star was flying high with leading roles in Se7en (1995), Emma (1996), Sliding Doors (1998), and her Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning turn in Shakespeare in Love (1998).
—Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2024
Noun
Light winds from the northwest may be welcome as highs zip up to the mid- to upper 70s.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
High-dosage products, or low-dosage products taken in greater quantities, can deliver a powerful high.
—John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination | Amy Yurkanin, Al.com, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
Due to a lighter wind and abundant sunshine, highs will reach the mid to upper 70s.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
Gold prices are already close to record highs as tensions flare in the Middle East.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
The Fed's rate stands at a 23-year high of 5.3% after 11 rate hikes beginning two years ago.
—Christopher Rugaber, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024
This extra support was invaluable for a first-time Mama like me, fresh from the hospital and navigating both the high of new motherhood and the low of post-surgical recovery from an emergency C-section.
—Rivea Ruff, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Arizona weather was pure desert spring A high of 93 degrees on the opening day of an outdoor festival in early April?
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Helix’s Shon Martin smashed the fifth hurdle with his hip and any chance to coming back to win the 110 highs was lost despite lowering the section record the last two weeks to the current 13.72 seconds.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'high.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to high
Dictionary Entries Near high
Cite this Entry
“High.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
high
1 of 3 adjective1
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 adverb1
: at or to a high place, altitude, or degree
climbed high
2
: richly sense 1, luxuriously
living high
high
3 of 3 noun1
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 adjective1
: 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)
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