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

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

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

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

high hat

3 of 3

noun

as in hard hat

Related Words

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
Listen to Pete’s old s—t, it was formulated, the high hats, the horn. — Angel Diaz, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2025 Instead of high hats, use wall washers, which bounce light off the walls and space. — Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025 Carter Beauford, perhaps the most unheralded drummer in music, busied himself with syncopated patterns and dizzying high hat on the song. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024 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
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
  • Letizia is the first person with a non-aristocratic background to marry into the Spanish royal family and become queen, according to TIME.
    — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026
  • 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
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
  • And, like Maverick, Hegseth disdains rules against showy flyovers.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • 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
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
  • The real race is for superior intelligence-production systems that transform scarce frontier capabilities into resilient, continuously improving national power.
    — John Sviokla, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • No one believed her, wanted to believe her, and/or wanted to cross a respected cop on track to be their superior officer someday.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“High-hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-hat. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of sultry

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All