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
-
Martha had no interest in Franco’s aristocratic, fascist Nationalists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The American groups always had very aristocratic, wonderful names.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The history of classic Athens shows us that a Democracy can misuse its power, become arrogant and become a tyrant.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Maekar refuses, earning a cutting rebuttal from Dunk about the royal upbringing that turned Daeron (Henry Ashton) into a drunken coward and Aerion into an arrogant and cruel madman.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Krikorian said a more traditional law enforcement approach should trade street sweeps for a greater focus on worksite enforcement – something Homan has advocated for, but which Trump disdains.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
White supremacy, which is very much alive in the land — turn on the news — disdains every people of color.—
Robert Lloyd,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Purely national committees were chosen to best isolate national trends.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Meek’s best writing often isolates intimate moments with tenderness and relatability.—
Dean Van Nguyen,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Security cameras capture a masked man wearing glasses and a hard hat spraying security cameras with blue paint inside a Hillsboro, Oregon, Intel parking garage.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
His hard hat bears months of nicks and scrapes, testament to the massive transformation underway in the 25,000-square-foot former food court at the Shops at Rivercenter mall in downtown San Antonio.—
Paul Stephen,
San Antonio Express-News,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The superior technology, intelligence and firepower of the United States and Israel enabled them to conjure a swift and simple solution to their enduring Iran problem.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The confidence of Hershey’s performance serves as a kind of challenge to both the male characters in the movie who view themselves as superior to her and to the audience — and even to the protagonists of earlier and later Scorsese movies.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And with luck, the public will now refuse to vote for District Attorneys who disrespect victims and refuse to file rape and child abuse cases.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Being stage props for a president who never fails to disrespect women is no way to celebrate a gold medal.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Still, with Thursday’s 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, Sexton and the Hornets insist the easiest way to keep the chatter from becoming a distraction is to stiff arm it as much as possible.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Best Sweatpant Jeans Gap New Ease Jeans Say goodbye to stiff denim waistbands thanks to the Gap New Ease Jeans.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“High-hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-hat. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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