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

For proof, just look at this year’s record-setting Monterey Car Week totals, which reached north of $750 million and easily bested the previous high-water mark of $471 million back in 2022. — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2026

The annual New York City Marathon — which attracts tourists and runners from all over the world while complicating surface transportation across all five boroughs — is typically a high-water mark for subway ridership. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026

Noun

In the Paradise Village community, residents walked and drove through water inches deep as high water from a local lake spilled into the roadway. — Anna McAllister, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

In nearby Rio Grande County, trailers at a campground were surrounded by high water and trucks were partially submerged in other areas. — Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 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