To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of high relief
: sculptural relief in which at least half of the circumference of the modeled form projects — compare bas-relief
Examples of high relief in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web But Shelton also offers the characters a deft shading of backstory that puts the entire plot into high relief and situates it in a wide, complex, and varied civic landscape.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Sword of Trust,” Reviewed: A Mumblecore Comedy That Takes on the Pro-Confederate Right," 12 July 2019 Details stood in high relief against the roiling sound mass, such as the sinister contrabassoon trailed by muted horns, also the strange little duet between flute and horn later on.
—
John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the CSO in an eloquent Mahler Ninth Symphony," 18 May 2018 Comparing that to other statistics about the housing crisis puts the gravity of the epidemic in high relief: In 2010, at the peak of the foreclosure crisis, banks seized more than one million homes.
—
Diana Budds, Curbed, "New data shows how pervasive the U.S.’s eviction epidemic really is," 9 Apr. 2018 In troubled times, or in times of reckoning and turmoil, everything is thrown into high relief.
—
Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, "Birds of Chicago on vitality and how to overcome 'the least sexy phrase' in music history," 4 Apr. 2018 There have been dozens of train wrecks that might have been avoided were positive train control in place, but the Amtrak crashes in Washington state and Philadelphia stand in high relief because of the fatalities and mass injuries.
—
Ashley Halsey Iii, Washington Post, "Trump administration says railroads must meet automatic-braking-system deadline," 3 Jan. 2018 The memorial became the largest high relief sculpture in the world, depicting Davis, Lee and Jackson on horseback, their figures stretched across three acres.
—
Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "What Will Happen to Stone Mountain, America’s Largest Confederate Memorial?," 22 Aug. 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'high relief.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on high relief
What made you want to look up high relief? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Obscure Shapes
- Something that is ooid is shaped like:
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share high relief
Time Traveler for high relief
The first known use of high relief was in 1703
See more words from the same year