Synonyms of highbrow

highbrow 1 of 2

adjective

as in intellectual

much given to learning and thinking

finally, a TV series that appeals to a highbrow audience

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intellectual
• cerebral
• scholarly
• cultured
• academic
• nerdy
• geeky
• intellectualistic
• intellectualist
• literate
• blue
• intelligent
• educated
• nerdish
• eggheaded
• long-haired
• highbrowed
• erudite
• cultivated
• clever
• brilliant
• snooty
• snobbish
• bookish
• professorial
• smart
• didactic
• snobby
• schooled
• high-toned
• pedantic
• learned
• well-read
• brainy
• high-hat
• polymath
• bright
• quick-witted
• polyhistoric
• hyperintellectual

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lowbrow
• nonintellectual
• uncultured
• ignorant
• uneducated
• uncultivated
• philistine
• illiterate
• dumb
• anti-intellectual
• stupid
• unlettered
• unread
• slow
• foolish
• idiotic
• unintelligent
• moronic
• benighted
• unenlightened

highbrow

2 of 2

noun

ˈhī-ˌbrau̇ 

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

• intellectual
• nerd
• intellectualist
• geek
• longhair
• blue
• double-dome
• wizard
• intellectualizer
• Brahmin
• bluestocking
• intellect
• sage
• mandarin
• pseud
• genius
• thinker
• brain
• whiz

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lowbrow
• philistine
• dope
• moron
• imbecile
• dummy
• anti-intellectual
• blockhead
• simpleton
• dolt
• dunce
• dumbbell
• pinhead
• nitwit
• fathead
• half-wit

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of highbrow

Adjective

Cronos marries crowd-pleasing horror elements with highbrow filmmaking sensibilities into something that would fit under arthouse or grindhouse umbrellas. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026

Sure, there are hundreds of arts festivals throughout the South, but An Appalachian Summer celebrates such an array of highbrow and grassroots folks alike. — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 24 May 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