highball

1 of 2

noun

high·​ball ˈhī-ˌbȯl 

1

: an iced drink containing liquor (such as whiskey) and water or a carbonated beverage (such as ginger ale) and served in a tall glass

2

: a railroad signal for a train to proceed at full speed

highball

2 of 2

verb

highballed; highballing; highballs

intransitive verb

: to go at full or high speed

a highballing express train

Synonyms

Verb

• speed
• race
• rush
• hurry
• fly
• travel
• zip
• scurry
• drive
• trot
• chase
• buzz
• jump
• bowl
• blow
• scoot
• dash
• dart
• bolt
• run

Examples of highball in a Sentence

Verb

trying to make up for lost time, the train just highballed through the station without stopping

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The crowd is young and cool and the drinks are served up cold and fast with popular cocktails like the paloma or whiskey highball on draft. —Nathanael Gassett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025

Prepare a Collins glass with one highball ice cube then pour in calvados mixture; top off with club soda and serve. —Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

The restaurant serves light, fresh fare like Baja ceviche and pozole and cocktails such as the Sonoran highball, mezcal mixed with grapefruit aperitif, serrano bitters, and mineral water. —Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025

Cocktails include spritzes, highballs, a gimlet, a margarita, a martini and a couple other classic spins. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 23 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for highball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

highball

noun

high·​ball

ˈhī-ˌbȯl

: a drink of alcoholic liquor with water or a carbonated beverage served in a tall glass