high
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- tall, elevated, lofty, soaring, steep, towering
- extreme, excessive, extraordinary, great, intensified, sharp, strong
- important, arch, chief, eminent, exalted, powerful, superior
- intoxicated, stoned (slang), tripping (informal)
- high-pitched, acute, penetrating, piercing, piping, sharp, shrill, strident
[adverb]
Synonyms:
- aloft, at great height, far up, way up

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Antonyms: low
Contrasted words: little, short, squat
Related Idioms: tall (or high) as a steeple
Related Words: aerial, eminent, lofty, soaring, towering, big, gigantic, grand, large, prominent

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English Thesaurus: expensive, high, dear, pricey, costly, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

-high /haɪ/ suffix [in adjectives]
of a particular height:
The wall was about chest-high (=as high as your chest).
a 7000 metre-high mountain

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. high¹ S1 W1 /haɪ/ adjective (comparative higher, superlative highest)
[Word Family: noun: Highness, high; adverb: high, highly; adjective: high]
[Language: Old English; Origin: heah]

1. FROM BOTTOM TO TOP measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top Antonym : low:
This is the highest mountain in Japan.
The camp was surrounded by a high fence.
100 feet/30 metres etc high
waves up to 40 metres high
a ten-foot high statue
How high is the Eiffel Tower?
chest/waist/knee etc high (=as high as your chest etc)
The grass was knee-high.
► Do not use high to describe people, animals, trees, and plants. Use tall: You’re getting very tall (NOT You’re getting very high). | a tall palm tree (NOT a high palm tree)

2. ABOVE GROUND in a position that is a long way, or a longer way than usual, above the ground, floor etc Antonym : low:
The apartment had spacious rooms with high ceilings.
a high shelf
high altitudes
The sun was already high in the sky.
High up among the clouds, we saw the summit of Everest.

3. LARGE NUMBER a high amount, number, or level is large, or larger than usual Antonym : low:
Temperatures remained high for the rest of the week.
Lower-paid workers often cannot afford the high cost of living in the capital.
high level/degree/rate etc (of something)
High levels of car use mean our streets are more congested than ever.
high crime rates
high interest rates
high price/charge/tax etc
If you want better public services, you’ll have to pay higher taxes – it’s as simple as that.
The train was approaching at high speed.
high proportion/percentage etc (of something) (=a very large part of a number)
A high proportion of women with children under five work full-time.

4. GOOD STANDARD a high standard, quality etc is very good Antonym : low:
a high performance computer
high quality
a range of high quality goods at low prices
Our aim is to provide the highest quality service to all our customers.
high standard (=very good levels of work, achievement, behaviour etc)
The general standard of the entries was very high.
Our guests expect us to maintain high standards.

5. CONTAINING A LOT containing a lot of a particular substance or quality Antonym : low
high in something
Choose foods that are high in fiber and low in calories.
a high sugar/salt/fibre etc content
Red meat tends to have a high fat content.

6. RANK/POSITION having an important position in society or within an organization Antonym : low:
a high rank in the US Navy
the City’s highest honour
high up (=in a powerful position)
someone high up in the CIA
high office (=an important position)
Both of them held high office in the Anglican Church.
high society (=rich people of the highest social class) ⇒ high-class, high-ranking, high-up, ⇒ friends in high places at friend(11)

7. ADVANCED [only before noun] advanced and often complicated:
We can offer all the benefits of the latest high technology.
the world of high finance
the higher animals/mammals/organisms etc (=animals etc that are more intelligent or advanced than others)

8. high opinion/regard/praise etc strong approval of someone or something, or an expression of strong approval:
I’ve always had a high opinion of her work.
hold somebody/something in high esteem/regard (=respect them very much)
As an educationalist, he was held in very high esteem.
Romsey earned high praise from his boss.

9. high priority (also high on the list/agenda) important and needing to be done or dealt with quickly:
Most people feel that education needs to be given higher priority.
Arms control is high on the agenda.

10. high hopes/expectations when someone hopes or expects that something will be very good or successful:
My expectations of the place were never very high, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.
have high hopes/expectations
Like many young actors, I had high hopes when I first started out.

11. SOUND near or above the top of the range of sounds that humans can hear Antonym : low:
I always had difficulty reaching the high notes (=when singing).
a high squeaky voice ⇒ high-pitched

12. high point (also high spot) British English an especially good part of an activity or event:
The visit to the ancient capital city was one of the high points of the tour.

13. high ground
a) an area of land that is higher than the area surrounding it:
Villagers herded the livestock to high ground to keep them safe during the floods.
b) a better, more moral, or more powerful position in an argument or competition:
Neither side in this conflict can claim the moral high ground.

14. high spirits feelings of happiness and energy, especially when you are having fun:
It was a bright sunny day and we set off in high spirits.
I don’t think they intended any harm – it was just high spirits.

15. HAPPY/EXCITED [not before noun] happy and excited:
I was still high from the applause.

16. DRUGS [not before noun] behaving in a strange and excited way as the result of taking drugs
high on
Most people there were high on cocaine.
get high (=take a drug to make yourself high)
Steve was as high as a kite (=strongly affected by drugs or alcohol).

17. SEA/RIVER having risen to a high level Antonym : low:
The river is at its highest in spring. ⇒ high tide

18. it is high time somebody did something used to say that something should be done now:
It’s high time you got a job.

19. TIME the middle or the most important part of a particular period of time:
high summer
high noon (=12 o'clock in the middle of the day) ⇒ high season

20. high wind a strong wind

21. high alert a situation in which people are told to be ready because there is a strong possibility of an attack or of something dangerous happening
put/place somebody on high alert
Troops were put on high alert.

22. high life/living the enjoyable life that rich and fashionable people have:
We’re all stuck here, while he’s off living the high life in New York.

23. high drama/adventure very exciting events or situations:
a life with moments of high drama

24. end/finish/begin etc (something) on a high note to end, finish something etc in a successful way:
The team finished their tour on a high note in Barbados.

25. high principles/ideals ideas about personal behaviour based on the belief that people should always behave in an honest and morally good way:
a man of high moral principles

26. high and mighty talking or behaving as if you think you are better or more important than other people:
Don’t get high and mighty with me.

27. be/get on your high horse to give your opinion about something in a way that shows you think you are definitely right and that other people are wrong:
If she’d get down off her high horse for a moment, she might realize there’s more than one point of view here.

28. FOOD British English cheese, meat etc that is high is not fresh and has a strong smell or taste

29. high days and holidays British English special occasions

30. high complexion/colouring British English a naturally pink or red face

31. in high dudgeon formal in an angry or offended way – often used humorously

32. LANGUAGE
a) high style/register British English a very formal style of language, especially used in literature
b) high German/Dutch etc a form of a language used for formal purposes that is often different from the ordinary form used by most people
⇒ highly, ⇒ stink to high heaven at stink¹(1)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. high² S3 adverb
[Word Family: noun: Highness, high; adverb: high, highly; adjective: high]

1. ABOVE THE GROUND at or to a level high above the ground, the floor etc Antonym : low:
He kicked the ball high into the air, over the heads of the crowd.
high above/into etc
Hotel Miramar is situated high above the bay.
A ski lift whisks you high into the mountains.

2. VALUE/COST/AMOUNT at or to a high value, cost, amount etc Antonym : low:
If prices shoot up any higher, no one will be able to afford to live in the area.
Tom scored higher than anyone else in the class.

3. SOUND with a high sound:
A strange cry rang high into the night.

4. ACHIEVEMENT at or to a high rank or level of achievement, especially within a company Antonym : low:
It seems that the higher you rise, the less time you have to actually do your job.
My parents always encouraged me to aim high.

5. (leave somebody/something) high and dry
a) if someone is left high and dry, they are left without any help or without the things that they need
b) if a boat, area etc is left high and dry, it is left on land because the water that surrounded it has gone down:
The once-thriving port of Rye was left high and dry as sea levels retreated.

6. look/search high and low to try to find someone or something by looking everywhere:
We looked high and low for Sandy but couldn’t find her.
⇒ hold your head high at hold¹(16), ⇒ live high on the hog at live¹(26), ⇒ be riding high at ride¹(6), ⇒ run high at run¹(28)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. high³ noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: Highness, high; adverb: high, highly; adjective: high]

1. NUMBER/AMOUNT the highest price, number, temperature etc that has ever been recorded, or that has been recorded within a particular period of time:
Highs of 40°C were recorded in the region last summer.
a new/record/ten-year etc high
The price of oil reached a new high this week.

2. EXCITEMENT informal a feeling of great happiness or excitement:
They’re bound to be on a high after such an incredible victory.
the emotional highs and lows of a new romance

3. DRUGS a feeling of pleasure or excitement produced by some drugs

4. WEATHER an area of high pressure that affects the weather

5. SCHOOL a short form of high school, used in the name of a school:
Benjamin Franklin High

6. from on high from someone in a position of authority – used humorously:
An order came from on high.

7. on high formal
a) at a high temperature as measured by an electric oven etc:
Microwave on high for eight minutes.
b) formal in a high place or heaven:
An angel came from on high.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

high
noun
I. high level or point
ADJ. all-time, new, record
VERB + HIGH hit, reach Share prices reached an all-time high yesterday.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

high
II. feeling of great pleasure or happiness
ADJ. real, tremendous | emotional
VERB + HIGH experience, get the high she got from cocaine
give sb The drug gives you a tremendous high.
PREP. on a ~ She's been on a real high since she got her exam results. This show is our swansong?we want to finish on a high.
PHRASES the highs and lows the emotional highs and lows of an actor's life

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

high
adjective
BAD: Beauvais is very proud of having the highest cathedral in Europe.
GOOD: Beauvais is very proud of having the tallest cathedral in Europe.
BAD: Smoke pours out of the high chimneys all day long.
GOOD: Smoke pours out of the tall chimneys all day long

Usage Note:
Use high to describe something that is a long way above the ground (or whose top is a long way above the ground): 'The rooms on the ground floor have very high ceilings.' 'The top shelf was too high for me to reach.' 'The high wall made it impossible for prisoners to escape.'
Use tall (NOT high ) to describe people, animals, trees, plants and things which are narrow and above average height: 'Most of the tall trees had been cut down.' 'I'd like to marry someone tall with a sense of humour.' 'He's almost six feet tall.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

expensive costing a lot of money:
an expensive car
Apartments in the city are very expensive.
An underground train system is expensive to build.
high costing a lot of money.You use high about rents/fees/prices/costs. Don’t use expensive with these words:
Rents are very high in this area.
Lawyers charge high fees.
the high cost of living in Japan
dear [not before noun] British English spoken expensive compared to the usual price:
£3.50 seems rather dear for a cup of coffee.
pricey /ˈpraɪsi/ informal expensive:
The clothes are beautiful but pricey.
costly expensive in a way that wastes money:
Upgrading the system would be very costly.
They were anxious to avoid a costly legal battle.
cost a fortune informal to be very expensive:
The necklace must have cost a fortune!
exorbitant /ɪɡˈzɔːbətənt, ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt $ -ɔːr-/ much too expensive:
Some accountants charge exorbitant fees.
astronomical astronomical prices, costs, and fees are extremely high:
the astronomical cost of developing a new spacecraft
the astronomical prices which some people had paid for their seats
The cost of living is astronomical.
overpriced too expensive and not worth the price:
The DVDs were vastly overpriced.
somebody can’t afford something someone does not have enough money to buy or do something:
Most people can’t afford to send their children to private schools.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

high measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildings:
the highest mountain in the world
The castle was surrounded by high walls.
a high cliff
The council told the architects the tower was too high.
tall high – used about people, trees, plants, and buildings. Tall is used especially about things that are high and narrow:
tall marble columns
A cat was hiding in the tall grass.
a tall modern building
majestic especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animals:
the majestic mountains of the Himalayas
The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows.
The cathedral looked majestic in the evening light.
soaring [only before noun] especially written used about a building or mountain that looks extremely tall and impressive:
a soaring skyscraper
the soaring towers of the palace
towering [only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frightening:
The sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison.
towering trees
lofty [usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literature:
the lofty peaks in the far distance
high-rise [usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or offices:
a high-rise apartment block
He works in a high-rise office in New York.
tall person/tree/plant/building/tower/statue
high-pitched higher than most sounds or voices:
He has a rather high-pitched voice.
Bats make high-pitched squeaks.
the high-pitched whine of a dentist's drill
shrill high and unpleasant:
Her voice became more shrill.
The bird has rather a shrill cry.
piercing extremely high and loud, in a way that is unpleasant:
a piercing scream
Suddenly I heard a piercing whistle.
squeaky making very high noises that are not loud:
a squeaky gate
squeaky floorboards
a squeaky little voice

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

rent to pay money to use a house, room, vehicle, piece of equipment, area of land etc:
He rented a room in a house on the Old Kent Road.
They flew out to New York and rented a car at the airport.
hire British English to pay money to use a car or a piece of clothing or equipment for a short period of time:
Why don't we hire a van for the day?
You can hire suits for weddings.
lease to have a legal agreement under which you pay money to a person or company in order to use a building, area of land, vehicle, piece of equipment etc for a fixed period of time :
They leased the offices from an American company.
The car is leased from BMW.
rent/rent something out to allow someone to use a house, room, vehicle, piece of equpiment, area of land etc in return for money:
She rents the flat out to students.
let/let something out to allow someone to use a room, house, building etc in return for money:
Some people don't want to let rooms to foreigners.
They let the house out while they were on holiday.
lease/lease something out to make a legal agreement which allows a person or company to use something that you own for a fixed period of time:
Santa Clara ' s Redevelopment Agency leased the existing city golf course to developers.
high
Rents in the city centre are very high.
low
Our workers get low rents and other advantages.
exorbitant (=extremely high)
Some landlords charge exorbitant rents.
fixed
The rent is fixed for three years.
affordable (=which people can easily pay)
The government plans to provide more homes at affordable rents.
the annual/monthly/weekly rent
Our annual rent is just over $15000.
ground rent British English (=rent paid to the owner of the land that a house, office etc is built on)
There is an additional ground rent of £30 per month.
a peppercorn rent British English (=an extremely low rent)
The colonel let us have the cottage for a peppercorn rent.
back rent (=rent you owe for an earlier period)
Mrs Carr said she is still owed several thousand dollars in back rent.
the rent is due (=it must be paid at a particular time)
The rent is due at the beginning of the week.
pay the rent
She couldn’t afford to pay the rent.
increase/raise the rent (also put up the rent British English)
The landlord wants to put up the rent.
fall behind with the rent/get behind on the rent (=fail to pay your rent on time)
You could be evicted if you fall behind with the rent.
collect the rent
His job is to collect the rents from the tenants.
the rent increases/goes up
The rent has gone up by over 50% in the last two years.
a rent increase
How can they justify such big rent increases?
rent arrears British English (=money that you owe because you have not paid your rent)
The most common debts were rent arrears.
a rent book British English (=a book that shows the payments you have made in rent)
cost the amount of money you need to buy or do something. Cost is usually used when talking in a general way about whether something is expensive or cheap rather than when talking about exact prices:
The cost of running a car is increasing.
the cost of raw materials
price the amount of money you must pay for something that is for sale:
They sell good-quality clothes at reasonable prices.
the price of a plane ticket to New York
value the amount of money that something is worth:
A new kitchen can increase the value of your home.
charge the amount that you have to pay for a service or to use something:
Hotel guests may use the gym for a small charge.
bank charges
fee the amount you have to pay to enter a place or join a group, or for the services of a professional person such as a lawyer or a doctor:
There is no entrance fee.
The membership fee is £125 a year.
legal fees
fare the amount you have to pay to travel somewhere by bus, plane, train etc:
I didn’t even have enough money for my bus fare.
fare increases
rate a charge that is set according to a standard scale:
Most TV stations offer special rates to local advertisers.
toll the amount you have to pay to travel on some roads or bridges:
You have to pay tolls on many French motorways.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

high
haɪ
See: come hell or high water , flying high , go through hell and high water , hell and high water , hit the high spots , live high off the hog or eat high on the hog , off one's high horse , on top of the world or sitting on top of the world also ({southern}) sitting on high cotton , riding high

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲