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 There are many valid readings of this high-minded, heavy-handed modern drama of despair, desperation, love and survival instincts. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • More than a century later, his tale of a centuries-old Transylvanian noble and vampire keeps succeeding, most recently in audio.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
  • That works just fine for this season’s noble arc, but that same polish that’s arguably warranted now does little to suggest future seasons will be willing to wrestle with whatever truth may exist in Cash’s warning.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of noble
Adjective
  • Using an acronym meant for minor zoning squabbles against resistance to a massive, 80 mph express train slicing through dense residential blocks is an arrogant posture that completely obscures the true nature of this unconscionable project.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Steve Buscemi as Harry’s regular fence; Tatiana Maslany as his estranged daughter; and Will Price as the arrogant, heat-packing scion of a Manhattan crime family also star.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • The 39-year-old Crosby broke his tie with Kings great Marcel Dionne by scoring his 1,772nd point when Evgeni Malkin's one-timer deflected in off him in the second period.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The 39-year-old Crosby broke his tie with Kings great Marcel Dionne by scoring his 1,772nd point when Evgeni Malkin’s one-timer deflected in off him in the second period.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • But both share a simple honesty and embrace the utilitarian rather than making any pretentious claims to luxury.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Lula’s Restaurant offers breakfast and dinner in an elevated space that isn’t too pretentious for kids, while The Goodz Tavern was our go-to lunch spot.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of pretentious
Adjective
  • Attendance is up, teacher pay is at its highest level in district history, and more of our strongest educators are staying in the classroom.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
  • When elections yield a divided government, with the White House held by one party and at least one chamber of Congress controlled by the other, the S&P 500 has historically posted higher average returns than under unified party control.
    — , CNBC, 5 Nov. 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
  • Younger and middle-aged elites are also less inclined to put up with the careers and sacrifices the state has historically presented as honorable.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Drawing district lines to effectively disenfranchise voters and ensure a seat in Congress for some partisan hack was a dark-of-night sort of thing that the public hated, not an honorable practice for upstanding citizens.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 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 11 Nov. 2026.

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