as in intellectual
much given to learning and thinking
finally, a TV series that appeals to a highbrow audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
guests at her elegant dinner parties are a mix of the city's highbrows and captains of industry
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 highbrow
Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026
The silver lining is that the Academy’s tastes tend to skew more highbrow than the precursors’, so there’s a chance the Palme d’Or winner will enjoy a warmer reception on nomination morning.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Tár is its highbrow counterpart, teasing and celebrating the same personal crisis and class issues.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for highbrow
Adjective
And while the past tenants of Royal Lodge exuded an elegant lore for the highbrow interests of a viscountess, the Jeffrey Epstein–associated Andrew is shrouded in such scandal that if Royal Lodge had been put on the real estate market, the listing price might have knocked down a few million.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026
The silver lining is that the Academy’s tastes tend to skew more highbrow than the precursors’, so there’s a chance the Palme d’Or winner will enjoy a warmer reception on nomination morning.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
The roll call of films ranges from the highbrow to the decidedly grungy, the menu of a true movie fanatic.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Tár is its highbrow counterpart, teasing and celebrating the same personal crisis and class issues.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for highbrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highbrow
Adjective
-
What does this mean for the future of a key American intellectual tradition?—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The product of two lovely, supportive and intellectual Jewish parents, Peaches is the youngest of three.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Others assumed that a substantial proportion of children with autism have cerebral folate deficiency.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Photograph by Victor Llorente for The New Yorker The experimental singer-producer FKA twigs, for most of her career, has made cerebral electronic music intent on synchronizing the mind and body.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One scholarly paper found that the typical retiree who claims before 70 loses $182,370 in potential Social Security income.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Leslie Hairston, a former City Council colleague of Preckwinkle’s whose South Side ward abutted hers, said Preckwinkle’s scholarly disposition shouldn’t be mistaken for indifference.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Highbrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highbrow. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
