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 My bookcase is filled with high-minded proposals made by expert panels, mostly to address budget deficits. — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Moreover, the average person seeing a super PAC ad will not know what was in those filings, but will simply see the high-minded sounding name of the PAC. — Richard J. Davis, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026 These are not the times for high-minded prestige series that require active viewing to appreciate every nuance, nor for thrillers and comedies exciting enough to quicken the pulse. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026 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 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
  • In the cursed days of auto-sync, pre-mixed sets, and the celebrity spinner, few have done as much to defend the noble art of the DJ as Felix Manuel, aka Djrum, a selector who combines galactically expansive taste with equally vast technical skill.
    — Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 17 Oct. 2026
  • They are fueled by the noble goal of encouraging healthy habits but run the risk of feeling accusatory, rendering the subject unbroachable.
    — Will Boyd, Baltimore Sun, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of noble
Adjective
  • Ever-sensible Elinor, who never asks for much, has already met, and fallen for, Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), Fanny’s brother, as kind and modest as Fanny is arrogant.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Hal and Kate, having misread Trowbridge’s shock and dismay at the tragic death of Austin Dennison as a worse-than-usual bit of arrogant posturing, switch to Bad Cop mode.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • But this is in fact the opportunity hiding inside the greatest technological acceleration of our lifetimes.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • This scandal comes as an appalling blow to the BND, and Germany as a whole, at a time of great danger.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • More than a little pretentious, with all the resources a $5 trillion market cap can bring to bear on every problem.
    — Aurich Lawson, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But others have slammed the effort as a pretentious and obnoxious slog.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretentious
Adjective
  • The View From Midland Despite the year’s geopolitical turmoil, there’s a newfound sense of economic stability in Midland that, for the first time in the city’s history, doesn’t seem to depend on sustained high oil prices.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Another was that lower government spending for public health programs was leading to higher costs for private sector plans.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of high
Adjective
  • At the end of the day, and of his essay, Thiel’s grandiose language and project is shown to be a rather ordinary ideological one.
    — David Gibson, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The grandiose panic room where Kate and Hal are locked down after the shooting was filmed in the crypt of a church on the Upper West Side.
    — Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of grandiose
Adjective
  • Central to the exhibition is the tension between the honorable and the immoral, the appealing and the revolting.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Dealing with the British, his Tenzing is scrupulous and honorable, but don’t confuse that with subservience.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • Instead, just enjoy the whacking of the pompous, the powerful and parents — that’s what Stone and Parker do.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Symptoms include baby fever, exacerbated by the pregnancy announcement of her sister Macy (Zosia Mamet), and an intolerance to her pompous, long-term but non-committal boyfriend Spencer (Finn Wittrock).
    — Katie Walsh, Variety, 14 Sep. 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 Oct. 2026.

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