1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Relevance

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 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 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 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
  • Making Shakespeare’s plays accessible is a noble goal, but there are other ways to go about this beyond modernizing the text and diluting its lyrical beauty and nuance.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • This is Edward, the aging King of England, talking to the ambitious noble Harold Godwinson.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of noble
Adjective
  • Everybody on our side understands that impeachment is a critical tool in the toolbox for constitutional self-defense against a president acting like a king, an imperious, lawless, arrogant king.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Most obviously, front and center, and in endlessly intrusive close-up, there’s Pattinson — who also serves as producer — playing the arrogant, fame-addicted, megalomaniac Hansen.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Countries with far smaller digital ecosystems, like Cambodia and Laos, have even greater struggles to attract and retain AI talent.
    — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight Friday before losing some of its steam and settling into Category 4’s limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • Jerry could easily be a caricature of a pretentious artiste stuck overseeing anonymous regional theater productions.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Breaking down the song of the summer debate Music reviewers on social media are, more often than not, pretentious snobs who take themselves too seriously, but Mic The Snare is a welcome change of pace.
    — Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pretentious
Adjective
  • Fed policymakers unanimously supported the rate hike, compared with late July when the central bank kept rates steady and three officials dissented in favor of higher rates.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Set the Scene While Belden House is set back some from the busy village center, this is very much a high-street, center-of-town hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of high
Adjective
  • The spit of land just east of Brighton Beach is known for the grandiose creations that compete with the Mill Basin mansions nearby.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Sometimes sweaty, sometimes sneering, often grandiose, and always conflicted, this Hansen presents the actor with a marvelous opportunity to demonstrate his stupefying range.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of grandiose
Adjective
  • The group meets monthly and is open to those with honorable, general and other-than-honorable discharges.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026
  • All persons having business before this honorable court are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the court is now sitting.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“High-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-minded. Accessed 20 Sep. 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 volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All