1
as in rhetoric
full of fine words and fancy expressions
gave a high-flown reply instead of a simple "yes" or "no" answer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eloquent
very dignified in form, tone, or style
high-flown speeches about the nobleness of their cause
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of high-flown
Order this: If all this is too high-flown for you, call for The Hook Up, your basic red sauce-sausage-pepperoni deal.
—
Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 14 June 2023
Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 14 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-flown
Adjective
-
Notably, the hues of navy and blue work well together to portray the actor as eloquent in matters of style.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
18 Apr. 2025
-
His book is a distraught but eloquent cry against our tolerance for other people’s calamities.—
Fintan O’Toole,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Public media, because of the taxpayer subsidy, hits a rhetorical sweet spot for the president.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The 2024 Presidential campaign itself involved deafening, five-alarm rhetorical fires.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
All three ensembles diverged from the Vatican's traditional dress code, which prescribes a formal black suit, black tie, and a black lapel pin for male attendees at papal funerals.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
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However, according to King Law Group, formal approval can only be granted through a physical notice mailed to the petitioner’s address.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Fed from glaciers on Mount Shasta’s majestic slopes, Mossbrae Falls cascades out of lava tubes and down mossy cliffs into the Sacramento River in ethereal curtains of mist, sending rainbows dancing in all directions.—
Jessica Garrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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In the 2011 final, Cristiano Ronaldo’s majestic leap and powerful header saw Jose Mourinho’s team crowned winners at the expense of their great rivals Barcelona after extra time.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Her verse, while serious and sophisticated, carries its literary baggage lightly.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Even as Twain’s home life stabilized, his literary ambitions grew.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-flown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-flown. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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