high-hat 1 of 3

adjective

ˈhī-ˈhat How to pronounce high-hat (audio)
Definition of high-hatnext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

high-hat

2 of 3

verb

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

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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

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high hat

3 of 3

noun

as in hard hat

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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-hat
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 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
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
  1. aristocratic
  2. arrogant
  3. disdain
  4. isolate
  5. hard hat
  6. superior
  7. disrespect
  8. stiff
Adjective
  • The Hotel Due Mari, a 17th-century aristocratic villa formerly owned by the marquesses of Bolasco, sits between Sestri’s two bays.
    — Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Diana, a virgin born into an aristocratic family, was seen as an ideal match for the future king.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of aristocratic
Adjective
  • Odysseus is a complex character known for being brilliant and crafty, but also being somewhat of an arrogant trickster.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Under normal conditions, someone who’s bossy or pushy can come across as arrogant and annoying.
    — Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of arrogant
Verb
  • The title character disdains the common folk, and the play’s complicated political discussion and harsh, jagged poetry aren’t what most picnicking playgoers are after.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Raised in a household of voracious readers in suburban Philadelphia, her father a professor of Spanish at the University of Pennsylvania and her mother having worked for magazines, Sebold disdained the university’s frat culture.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
Definition of disdain
Verb
  • Hospitals there were overwhelmed, and many families lacked running water or space to isolate sick relatives.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 July 2026
  • Instead, isolate it in a separate room—or at least several feet away from other plants—for two to four weeks.
    — Colleen Sullivan, Martha Stewart, 21 July 2026
Definition of isolate
Noun
  • Wilburn allegedly posed as a utility worker, wearing a hard hat and a reflective vest, to gain entry into the apartment, which was occupied by a man, a woman, and a 13-year-old boy.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
  • Ryan Asdourian, a marketing and strategy officer for Lumen Technologies, decided to have some fun with the clean-up operation, taking a film crew along to the venue and a hard hat, setting out to cover up as many signs as possible.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of hard hat
Adjective
  • With 95% of enterprise AI projects failing to move from prototype to production, joining the 5% success group isn't about buying superior technology.
    — Gargi Ray, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Toyota trades only modestly above the peers, but that premium is justified by stronger margins, superior scale and a massive buyback program.
    — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 22 July 2026
Definition of superior
Verb
  • The leak itself received a mountain of backlash from industry professionals, animators and others for disrespecting the years of work put into crafting the film.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Kenzie completely rejects Corbin’s because Corbin, having disrespected her, is now dead to her.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 30 June 2026
Definition of disrespect
Verb
  • Dolan then appeared to take a shot at Mamdani during the team's victory celebration at City Hall and did his best to stiff him in a photo op.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • This look has the same sophisticated, polished feel of a suit moment without the dedication to stiff layers.
    — Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Definition of stiff

Browse Nearby Words

high-handedness
high-hat
high hat
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Cite this Entry

“High-hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-hat. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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