high 1 of 3

1
as in tall
extending to a great distance upward as the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest is mountaineering's holy grail

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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high

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noun

high

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective high contrast with its synonyms?

The words lofty and tall are common synonyms of high. While all three words mean "above the average in height," high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill
a high ceiling

In what contexts can lofty take the place of high?

Although the words lofty and high have much in common, lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

When might tall be a better fit than high?

The words tall and high can be used in similar contexts, but tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of high
Adjective
Never use your high-beam lights. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025 The company also expects adjusted operating margin to be at or above the high end of the previous guidance range of 12 percent to 13 percent. Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving hits a new high, rising 7-6 in its third week on the list (36,000 equivalent album units earned, up 5%). Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025 Murphy, a junior, completed 25 of 51 passes for 236 yards — all season highs — and three TD. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Adverb
At that moment, sitting in the bleachers after the assembly, a fellow student high-fived him. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025 The limestone relief was in the tomb of Khentika, a high-ranking figure during the sixth dynasty of the Old Kingdom period. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for high
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high
Adjective
  • Fans of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie were treated to an animatronics line in June, featuring an over 5-foot tall Victor, Emily, along with a 2-foot tall Sparky.
    Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Keep a distance from tall, isolated trees or other elevated objects.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The surface-to-surface weapon system provides the Joint Force Commander with increased range, lethality, survivability, and missile load out.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Miners argue increased subjection to the dust has led to an eruption of black lung, an incurable disease associated with inhaling the particles.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Traditionally, hormone therapeutic leuprolide is prescribed to treat recurrent prostate cancer – something indicated by elevated levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) following initial treatment.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Shares of Darden Restaurants have added 1% this year, but Cho said that Darden Restaurant’s somewhat elevated current valuation still seems justified.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Before going to bed, Nathan explicitly tells him not to let the completely drunk guests swim in the ocean.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
  • This game is beyond fall down drunk.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • By deploying solvers on scalable cloud platforms, firms avoid the need for expensive local hardware, lowering barriers for CAE adoption among businesses.
    Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Initiative petitions must survive an expensive and time-consuming signature-gathering process to qualify for the statewide ballot.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The 20-year-old was one of many players in the Argentinian squad with solid top-flight experience for their clubs, racking up 13 starts in midfield for Boca Juniors, after being given his opportunity by the great Fernando Gago back in May 2024.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • For me, it’s been really essential to read a lot of great information, and to come at the world filled with knowledge and all these ideas of, in my view, much smarter and braver people than myself.
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And while handing Ole Miss its first loss of the year was reason to celebrate, things got pretty somber rather quickly for the Bulldogs after learning the injury status of one of their top playmakers.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Other labels — including Valentino and Sandro — marked the season with intimate evening celebrations and events for their top clients, reinforcing the trend of experiential retail.
    Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In the footage, also obtained by PEOPLE, Tarek can be seen wearing a ripped shirt as he's questioned by an officer in a small room with his elderly dad.
    Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
  • When at ports, the crew does everything from deck tours and day sails to maintenance, such as fixing a stove, sewing a ripped sail or doing laundry.
    Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 9 Aug. 2025

Cite this Entry

“High.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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