1
as in aristocratic
being or characteristic of a person who has an offensive air of superiority and tends to ignore or disdain anyone regarded as inferior
at the wedding reception the bride's high-hat relatives did their considerable best to ignore us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
several high-hat society types arrived after we did, but they got seated first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to disdain
to show contempt for
one presidential candidate presents himself as an outsider who has long been high-hatted by the Beltway elite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
was high-hatted by an old college friend who's now a power player on Wall Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in hard hat
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of high-hat
Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025
Over the last few years, a bevy of high-hat hotels have begun competing for the Big Apple’s best guests.
—Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025
For the opening scene, in which a couple makes out in a car, singer Stuart A. Staples croons the title track, with some café jazz accompaniment: Bass, piano, and lightly tapped high-hat.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
The bass, high-hat, guitar, and vocals all remain distinct in this busy mix and benefit from strong detail when the track fully kicks in.
—PCMAG, 10 July 2024
As the drummer counted in on his high-hat my mind went blank: not just on how to play the song, but how to play guitar, how to stay standing, how to blink, breathe, and stay conscious.
—Chris Fleming, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2023
Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Going high hat just did not fit, and on Sept. 9, 1927, the Bernheimer flags came down.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2022
Deja stifled a yawn and cranked up her music; the warring bass and high hat thrummed in her chest and kept her mostly awake.
—Brittany N. Williams, NOLA.com, 26 Oct. 2020
The song -- a frenetic trap banger built from buzzy synths and high hat -- debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 on March 2, 2013, the same week Billboard started factoring YouTube streaming data into the chart's methodology.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2019
Here comes one now, rattling catastrophically, like Max Roach whaling on the high hat.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2019
Adjective
The sand crackling against the screen door became a high-hat drum.
—Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2025
Over the last few years, a bevy of high-hat hotels have begun competing for the Big Apple’s best guests.
—Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025
For the opening scene, in which a couple makes out in a car, singer Stuart A. Staples croons the title track, with some café jazz accompaniment: Bass, piano, and lightly tapped high-hat.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
The bass, high-hat, guitar, and vocals all remain distinct in this busy mix and benefit from strong detail when the track fully kicks in.
—PCMAG, 10 July 2024
As the drummer counted in on his high-hat my mind went blank: not just on how to play the song, but how to play guitar, how to stay standing, how to blink, breathe, and stay conscious.
—Chris Fleming, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2023
Noun
Instead of high hats, use wall washers, which bounce light off the walls and space.
—Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Going high hat just did not fit, and on Sept. 9, 1927, the Bernheimer flags came down.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2022
Deja stifled a yawn and cranked up her music; the warring bass and high hat thrummed in her chest and kept her mostly awake.
—Brittany N. Williams, NOLA.com, 26 Oct. 2020
The song -- a frenetic trap banger built from buzzy synths and high hat -- debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 on March 2, 2013, the same week Billboard started factoring YouTube streaming data into the chart's methodology.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2019
Here comes one now, rattling catastrophically, like Max Roach whaling on the high hat.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-hat
Adjective
-
Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, meanwhile, is located in the former hunting lodge of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg, and its Munich branch sits at the former Bavarian State Bank headquarters and the adjacent Palais Neuhaus-Preysing, originally an aristocratic residence from the 1700s.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Federalist critics in Congress argued the colonnades looked aristocratic.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This version of Ryan was arrogant, unable to conceal pride in his accomplishment.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Trump and his circle disdain the Bush-Ryan-Romney Republican Establishment and Clinton-Schumer-Jeffries Democratic Establishment in equal measure.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Even if the 23rd French president’s time behind bars is cut short, the sound of any jailhouse door hitting him in the rear would be a sweet one for the many, many who disdained his right-wing politics and spectacular thirst for attention.—
Alexandra Marshall,
Air Mail,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Difficult Amazon logistics is no excuse Another challenge to vaccinating indigenous groups is the complicated logistics of getting shots to their territories, which are often isolated and hard to reach.—
Adriana Brasileiro,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And that’s what people want at the end of the day, is someone to resonate with and not feel so alone and isolated in this world.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Seeking higher and drier ground, the windsurfer noticed a hard hat encrusted with barnacles.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Five years after the plans dropped, Arsene Wenger turned up on site in his orange Wellington boots and a hard hat as part of the topping-out ceremony that celebrates the completion of the structure of a new building.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And when daily wear and tear was simulated – through continuous electric-toothbrush abrasion equivalent to about a year of brushing, as well as chewing and grinding – the teeth actually had superior resistance to wear, fracture and acid attack compared with natural enamel.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Instead of settling for 3-pointers, Boozer took the ball hard to the basket in the second half while a Duke team with obviously superior talent to Texas got untracked.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Screech your outrage, ACC schools disrespected by just one bid and pound your shoes on a desk somewhere, Notre Dame haters, especially those in the commonwealth of Kentucky and in the sunny setting of Miami.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
In hundreds of communications reviewed by USA TODAY, Rochelle described falling behind on mortgage payments, needing help finding a daycare in Austin and feeling disrespected by caseworkers.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Testers noted how plush or stiff the mattress felt after consistent sleep on the mattresses, from a boxed memory foam to a hybrid bed.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
5 Oct. 2025
-
When your sugar mixture reaches 230°F, begin beating your egg whites to firm peak stage; egg whites will hold their shape but not quite to stiff peak stage.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-hat. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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