high
Meanings
- Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level:
- Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty.
- Relatively elevated; rising or raised above the average or normal level from which elevation is measured.
- Above the batter's shoulders.
- Pertaining to (or, especially of a language: spoken in) an area which is at a greater elevation, for example more mountainous, than other regions.
- Having a specified elevation or height; tall.
- Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character.
- Most exalted; foremost.
- Of great importance and consequence: grave (if negative) or solemn (if positive).
- Consummate; advanced (e.g. in development) to the utmost extent or culmination, or possessing a quality in its supreme degree, at its zenith.
- Advanced in complexity (and hence potentially abstract and/or difficult to comprehend).
- Extreme, excessive; now specifically very traditionalist and conservative.
- In or to an elevated position.
- In or at a great value.
- At a pitch of great frequency.
- A high point or position, literally (as, an elevated place; a superior region; a height; the sky; heaven) or figuratively (as, a point of success or achievement; a time when things are at their best, greatest, most numerous, maximum, etc).
- The maximum atmospheric temperature recorded at a particular location, especially during one 24-hour period.
- A period of euphoria, from excitement or from an intake of drugs.
- A drug that gives such a high.
- A large area of elevated atmospheric pressure; an anticyclone.
- The highest card dealt or drawn.
- Ellipsis of high school.
- To rise.
- Alternative form of hie (“to hasten”).
- A surname.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kewk- Proto-Indo-European *kówk-o-s Proto-Germanic *hauhaz Proto-West Germanic *hauh Old English hēah Middle English heigh English high From Middle English high, heigh, heih, from Old English hēah (“high, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime, illustrious, important, proud, haughty, deep, right”), from Proto-West Germanic *hauh (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *hauhaz (“high”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewk- (“to bend; crooked”). Cognates Cognate with Scots heich (“high”), Yola heegh, heigh, heighe, hia, hie (“high”), North Frisian hoog, huuch (“high”), Saterland Frisian hooch, hoog (“high”), West Frisian heech (“high”), Alemannic German hooch (“high”), Central Franconian huh (“high”), Cimbrian hoach, hòach (“high”), Dutch hoog, hooge (“high”), German hoch (“high”), German Low German hooch (“high”), Limburgish hoeg (“high”), Luxembourgish héich (“high”), Mòcheno heach (“high”), Vilamovian huch (“high”), Yiddish הויך (hoykh, “high”), Danish høj (“high”), Faroese háur, høgur (“high”), Gutnish haugar (“high”), Icelandic hár (“high”), Norwegian Bokmål høg, høy (“high”), Norwegian Nynorsk høg, håg, hå (“high”), Swedish hög (“high”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍃 (hauhs, “high”), Vandalic *oas (“high”), Old French haut (“high”) (from Old High German hoh (“high”)); also with Ancient Greek Καύκᾰσος (Kaúkăsos, “Caucasus”), Latvian koks (“tree”), Lithuanian kúoka (“stick with thick end, pounder, pestle”), Bulgarian ку́ка (kúka, “hook”), Albanian çukë (“peak, summit, top”).