high

adjective

1. 1

   Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty.

   The balloon rose high in the sky. The wall was high. a high mountain

   Upon the highest spray of every mounting pole, Those Quirristers are pearcht with many a speckled breast.

   The Chitistone River Valley offers a more direct route for travel from McCarthy to the White River and the Shushana gold placers than Skolai Creek, but it involves a high climb over the so-called “goat trail” to avoid the canyon above Chitistone[.]

   Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

2. 2

   Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Relatively elevated; rising or raised above the average or normal level from which elevation is measured.

   She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry. His wooing had been brief but incisive.

   A nightgown with a high neck and long sleeves may have the fullness set into a yoke.

   The concrete floors of B2B sheds were already being built to an exacting degree of flatness, calibrated using lasers, so that forklifts would not teeter while lifting pallets to the highest shelves.

3. 3

   Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Of a ball, above the batter's shoulders.

   the pitch (or: the ball) was high

4. 4

   Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: Pertaining to (or, especially of a language: spoken in) an area which is at a greater elevation, for example more mountainous, than other regions.

5. 5

   Having a specified elevation or height; tall.

   three feet high three Mount Everests high

   I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.

6. 6

   Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character.

   The oldest of the elves' royal family still conversed in High Elvish.

   The Barnacles were a very high family, and a very large family. They were dispersed all over the public offices, and held all sorts of public places.

   Not a one of them was old enough to know what the high past of Liani separatism had really been like.

7. 7

   Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character. Most exalted; foremost.

   the high priest, the high officials of the court, the high altar

8. 8

   Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character. Of great importance and consequence: grave (if negative) or solemn (if positive).

   high crimes, the high festival of the sun

9. 9

   Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character. Consummate; advanced (e.g. in development) to the utmost extent or culmination, or possessing a quality in its supreme degree, at its zenith.

   high (i.e. intense) heat; high (i.e. full or quite) noon; high (i.e. rich or spicy) seasoning; high (i.e. complete) pleasure; high (i.e. deep or vivid) colour; high (i.e. extensive, thorough) scholarship; high tide; high [tourism] season; the High Middle Ages

   High time it is this war now ended were.

   1709-1710, Thomas Baker, Reflections on Learning High sauces and rich spices are fetch'd from the Indies.

10. 10

    Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character. Advanced in complexity (and hence potentially abstract and/or difficult to comprehend).

    to hear and answer such high things

    Plain living and high thinking are no more.

11. 11

    Extreme, excessive; now specifically very traditionalist and conservative.

    high church High Tory

    Furder, what wil you answeare for your keping a daye, cessation &c to St. Michael & al Angells? how wil you excuse your self of most high idolatrie, advancing your self in thinges you neuer sawe, rashlie puffed vp of your fleshlie minde, and not holding the heade, depriuing others of their Crowne?

    The letter of a "Pioneer" was sent to the Chronicle office by a very respectable man, of a high conservative family, but whose interests have been injuriously affected by the constant fluctuations in the commercial policy of England.

    His family was ardently royalist, and might be compared to a high Tory family on this side the water; with some change of conditions, their prejudices and disposition of the mind were the same.

12. 12

    Elevated in mood; marked by great merriment, excitement, etc.

    in high spirits

    1970, Grateful Dead, High Time, on the album Workingman's Dead I was having a high time, living the good life.

13. 13

    Keen, enthused.

    "Conversely, just because I am not high on positivity, it does not mean I am necessarily high on negativity."

    I'm not that high about the relationship.

14. 14

    informalIntoxicated; under the influence of a mood-altering drug, formerly usually alcohol, but now (from the mid-20th century) usually not alcohol but rather marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc.

    "Three extremely high people showing up at the animal shelter like WE FOUND A DOG would be really funny, but..."

    Ooh! Remember when you got high at McDonald's and told Gangle to kill herself?

15. 15

    Luxurious; rich.

    high living, the high life

    I was living the high lifestyle in famous sex clubs, relaxing on luxurious sofas, in the saunas and whirlpools, enjoying moments of excitement with my male and female companions while sipping champagne from crystal glasses.

16. 16

    Lofty, often to the point of arrogant, haughty, boastful, proud.

    a high tone

    An high looke, and a proud heart, […] is sinne.

    His forces, after all the high discourses, amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.

17. 17

    With tall waves.

    The sea is as high as ever. I shouldn't think any boat could put out today.

18. 18

    Remote (to the north or south) from the equator; situated at (or constituting) a latitude which is expressed by a large number.

    high latitude, fish species in high arctic and antarctic areas

    But other euphausiids, Euphausia crystallorophias, are found in the pack ice region of the high Antarctic as food of Blue and Minke Whales (Marr, 1956). E. vallentini is very important in the lower Antarctic region, around […]

    We predict that L. arctica will coincide with the whole reindeer-caribou distribution, probably excepted Svalbard, South Georgia and other high-polar areas.

    […] petrels, which breed primarily in the high Antarctic, the Rauer Islands are fairly central in their breeding distribution. This study documents the breeding biology of these four species of fulmarine petrels on Hop Island, Rauer Islands during […]

19. 19

    Large, great (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc).

    My bank charges me a high interest rate.

    I was running a high temperature and had high cholesterol.

    high voltage high prices high winds a high number

    Can heavenly minds such high resentment show?

20. 20

    Large, great (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc). Having a large or comparatively larger concentration of (a substance, which is often but not always linked by "in" when predicative).

    Carrots are high in vitamin A. made from a high-copper alloy

    Anyone can determine for himself whether certain wire is high carbon or not. Heat a piece of the wire red hot and while red plunge into water till cold.

21. 21

    Acute or shrill in pitch, due to being of greater frequency, i.e. produced by more rapid vibrations (wave oscillations).

    The note was too high for her to sing.

22. 22

    Made with some part of the tongue positioned high in the mouth, relatively close to the palate.

23. 23

    Greater in value than other cards, denominations, suits, etc. Having the highest rank in a straight, flush or straight flush.

    I have KT742 of the same suit. In other words, a K-high flush.

    9-high straight = 98765 unsuited

    Royal Flush = AKQJT suited = A-high straight flush

24. 24

    Greater in value than other cards, denominations, suits, etc. Winning; able to take a trick, win a round, etc.

    North's hand was high. East was in trouble.

    Cutler pushed forward the two necessary white chips. No one's hand was high, and Loomis made a slight winning.

25. 25

    Strong-scented; slightly tainted/spoiled; beginning to decompose.

    Epicures do not cook game before it is high.

    The tailor liked his meat high.

    What he did know was this: something about the situation smelled wrong. Something about it smelled as high as dead fish that have spent three days in the hot sun.

26. 26

    Near, in its direction of travel, to the (direction of the) wind.

    NO NEARER! (arrive! Fr.) the command given by the pilot of quarter-master, to the helmsman, to steer the ship no higher to the direction of the wind than the sails will operate to advance the ship in her course.

27. 27

    Positioned up the field, towards the opposing team's goal.

    Our defensive line is too high.

adverb

1. 1

   In or to an elevated position.

   How high above land did you fly?

   The desks were piled high with magazines.

2. 2

   In or at a great value.

   Costs have grown higher this year again.

3. 3

   At a pitch of great frequency.

   I certainly can't sing that high.

noun

1. 1

   A high point or position, literally (as, an elevated place; a superior region; a height; the sky; heaven) or figuratively (as, a point of success or achievement; a time when things are at their best, greatest, most numerous, maximum, etc).

   It was one of the highs of his career.

   Inflation reached a ten-year high.

   South Korea has reached a new high in a kind of air pollution measured in fine dust.

2. 2

   A high point or position, literally (as, an elevated place; a superior region; a height; the sky; heaven) or figuratively (as, a point of success or achievement; a time when things are at their best, greatest, most numerous, maximum, etc). The maximum atmospheric temperature recorded at a particular location, especially during one 24-hour period.

   Today's high was 32 °C.

3. 3

   A period of euphoria, from excitement or from an intake of drugs.

   Falling from cloud nine / Crashing from the high / I'm letting go tonight / Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine

   They will have to reflect on a seventh successive defeat in a European final while Chelsea try to make sense of an eccentric season rife with controversy and bad feeling but once again one finishing on an exhilarating high.

   That pill gave me a high for a few hours, before I had a comedown.

4. 4

   A drug that gives such a high.

   No sooner has a [synthetic] drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one. These “legal highs” are sold for the few months it takes the authorities to identify and ban them, and then the cycle begins again.

5. 5

   informalA large area of elevated atmospheric pressure; an anticyclone.

   A large high is centred on the Azores.

6. 6

   The highest card dealt or drawn.

7. 7

   Variant of high schoolinformalEllipsis of high school.

   He’s the old man’s only son. Some baby! Yep, right behind ya. Nope, he donno me. I was in Grammar when he was in High.

   The high school experience is one unmatched and irreplaceable. Its effects on our lives continue long after walking through our high’s doorways one last time.

   The reassignment follows a dispute between her and an association of parents of Nova High’s band members over how the band program was being run.

   If you look very closely in Monday's letters page, I'm supervising those non-plagiarising students sitting for their exam in Chatswood High's hall.

verb

1. 1

   obsoleteTo rise.

   The sun higheth.

verb

1. 1

   Variant of hieobsoleteAlternative form of hie (“to hasten”).

Forms

plural

highs

comparative

higher

superlative

highest

past tense

highed

past participle

highed

present participle

highing

third person singular

highs