high-minded

adjective

ˈhī-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce high-minded (audio)
Definition of high-mindednext
1
as in noble
having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature high-minded efforts to improve the lives of people who are less fortunate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance she was too high-minded to admit publicly to watching trashy movies, but privately she loved them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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-minded The markets were launched with high-minded ambitions of using the wisdom of the crowd to forecast future events, and help business leaders and politicians make better decisions. — Semafor Events, semafor.com, 22 May 2026 Some viewers even felt its liberal use of absurdity in fact grounded the show in the real world compared to the high-minded weepies on daytime, achieving honesty through nontraditional means. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 Hepburn was enamored with the high-minded Ferrer, though some saw him as a puppet master and opportunist. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026 Trump and Bibi have done nothing to earn such high-minded NATO support even though the future of Hormuz so directly impacts every member of the alliance. — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for high-minded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-minded
  1. noble
  2. arrogant
  3. great
  4. pretentious
  5. high
  6. grandiose
  7. honorable
  8. pompous
Adjective
  • Valerie is asked to speak out against her own show for the sake of human dignity—an act that seems noble on paper but risks putting two hundred or so of her crew members out on the street.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
  • The World Cup gives each of us an opportunity to affirm our identities with pride, and Los Angeles throughout history has been the place that has welcomed these noble acts.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of noble
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
Adjective
  • There are good footballers, there are great footballers and then there is Messi, who plays as if he has been sent here from another dimension, a superior life form inside the 5ft 7in frame of a normal guy from Rosario, Argentina.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Healthcare's greatest crisis isn't financial or technological.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • The Majestic espouses a traditional luxury hotel style without feeling stuffy or pretentious.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • The 101 recipes are chef-smart without being pretentious or complicated.
    — Sheela Prakash, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 July 2026
Definition of pretentious
Adjective
  • The Big Bend Sector has not experienced the high number of border crossings seen in recent years in other areas farther south along the Rio Grande or in Arizona or California, owing to the remote and challenging terrain on both sides of the border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • The global luxury resale and collateral market has expanded rapidly as younger high-net-worth individuals and fashion collectors treat assets like investments.
    — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of high
Adjective
  • The traditional Marxist framework may explain why Flaubert, the conflicted son of a successful provincial surgeon, wrote naturalistic novels mocking the grandiose aspirations of the rural bourgeoisie, Sartre conceded.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
  • And Keith could be placed into a grandiose presidential suite for the duration at a nearby casino.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
Definition of grandiose
Adjective
  • That simple, honorable point about the dignity of emigrating remains painfully controversial in Dean’s home country and here.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Someone who lost their way despite their initial, honorable intentions.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • Does little Arabella care about going to another stuffy awards dinner with her pompous dad?
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of pompous

Browse Nearby Words

highly
high-minded
high-mindedly
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Cite this Entry

“High-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-minded. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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