high-rise

1 of 2

adjective

ˈhī-ˈrīz 

1

: being multistory and equipped with elevators

high-rise apartments

2

: of, relating to, or characterized by high-rise buildings

a high-rise complex

3

: having a longer than standard rise (see rise entry 2 sense 7)

high-rise jeans

There are boxer shorts, low-rise briefs, high-rise briefs, … and colors galore.

—Nancy Lawson

high-rise

2 of 2

noun

ˈhī-ˌrīz 

variants or less commonly high rise

plural high-rises also high rises

: a building (such as an apartment building) that has multiple stories and is equipped with elevators

They live on the tenth floor of a high-rise.

Examples of high-rise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That building was torn down in 1931, but the New York Life Building still represented one of the city’s early high-rises a block away. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026

This 33-square-mile barrier island off the coast of Fort Myers is famously low-rise and low-key—there are no stoplights, no high-rises, and more than 70 percent of the land is protected. —Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026

Noun

Opened in 1927 as a high-rise apartment building but converted during the war years into an upscale stay, the Pontchartrain had suffered over decades of rising damp and tumbling fortunes. —Rick Bragg, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026

The neighborhood has developed from an industrial shipping hub to an epicenter of new development, with towering high-rise apartments, breweries and an entertainment district advertising a new Dave and Busters set to open in 2026. —Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

high-rise

adjective

ˈhī-ˈrīz

: having several stories and being equipped with elevators

high-rise apartments

high-rise noun