high-water

1 of 2

adjective

high-wa·​ter ˈhī-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: unusually short

high-water pants

high water

2 of 2

noun

: a high stage of the water in a river or lake

also : high tide sense 1

Examples of high-water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Posnock firmly identifies the nineteen-fifties as the high-water mark of American sophistication. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts king tides on at least 40 days, reflecting how seasonal high-water levels are becoming a regular part of our coastal reality, the mayor added. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Noun

The centers require intense cooling, which often demands high water and power use and creates the potential to affect the environment and to pass on utility costs to consumers. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The mysterious glade is actually likely a piece of land that broke off from the reservoir’s shoreline as a result of record-high water levels this year. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for high-water

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• headwater