I. high 1 S1 W1 /haɪ/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative higher , superlative highest )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ Highness , ↑ high ; adverb : ↑ high , ↑ highly ; adjective : ↑ high ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: heah ]
1 . FROM BOTTOM TO TOP measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top OPP low :
This is the highest mountain in Japan.
The camp was surrounded by a high fence.
100 feet/30 metres etc high
waves up to 40 metres high
a ten-foot high statue
How high is the Eiffel Tower?
chest/waist/knee etc high (=as high as your chest etc)
The grass was knee-high.
► Do not use high to describe people, animals, trees, and plants. Use tall : You’re getting very tall (NOT You’re getting very high). | a tall palm tree (NOT a high palm tree)
2 . ABOVE GROUND in a position that is a long way, or a longer way than usual, above the ground, floor etc OPP low :
The apartment had spacious rooms with high ceilings.
a high shelf
high altitudes
The sun was already high in the sky.
High up among the clouds, we saw the summit of Everest.
3 . LARGE NUMBER a high amount, number, or level is large, or larger than usual OPP low :
Temperatures remained high for the rest of the week.
Lower-paid workers often cannot afford the high cost of living in the capital.
high level/degree/rate etc (of something)
High levels of car use mean our streets are more congested than ever.
high crime rates
high interest rates
high price/charge/tax etc
If you want better public services, you’ll have to pay higher taxes – it’s as simple as that.
The train was approaching at high speed.
high proportion/percentage etc (of something) (=a very large part of a number)
A high proportion of women with children under five work full-time.
4 . GOOD STANDARD a high standard, quality etc is very good OPP low :
a high performance computer
high quality
a range of high quality goods at low prices
Our aim is to provide the highest quality service to all our customers.
high standard (=very good levels of work, achievement, behaviour etc)
The general standard of the entries was very high.
Our guests expect us to maintain high standards.
5 . CONTAINING A LOT containing a lot of a particular substance or quality OPP low
high in something
Choose foods that are high in fiber and low in calories.
a high sugar/salt/fibre etc content
Red meat tends to have a high fat content.
6 . RANK/POSITION having an important position in society or within an organization OPP low :
a high rank in the US Navy
the City’s highest honour
high up (=in a powerful position)
someone high up in the CIA
high office (=an important position)
Both of them held high office in the Anglican Church.
high society (=rich people of the highest social class) ⇨ ↑ high-class , ↑ high-ranking , ↑ high-up , ⇨ friends in high places at ↑ friend (11)
7 . ADVANCED [only before noun] advanced and often complicated:
We can offer all the benefits of the latest high technology.
the world of high finance
the higher animals/mammals/organisms etc (=animals etc that are more intelligent or advanced than others)
8 . high opinion/regard/praise etc strong approval of someone or something, or an expression of strong approval:
I’ve always had a high opinion of her work.
hold somebody/something in high esteem/regard (=respect them very much)
As an educationalist, he was held in very high esteem.
Romsey earned high praise from his boss.
9 . high priority ( also high on the list/agenda ) important and needing to be done or dealt with quickly:
Most people feel that education needs to be given higher priority.
Arms control is high on the agenda.
10 . high hopes/expectations when someone hopes or expects that something will be very good or successful:
My expectations of the place were never very high, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.
have high hopes/expectations
Like many young actors, I had high hopes when I first started out.
11 . SOUND near or above the top of the range of sounds that humans can hear OPP low :
I always had difficulty reaching the high notes (=when singing) .
a high squeaky voice
⇨ ↑ high-pitched
12 . high point ( also high spot ) British English an especially good part of an activity or event:
The visit to the ancient capital city was one of the high points of the tour.
13 . high ground
a) an area of land that is higher than the area surrounding it:
Villagers herded the livestock to high ground to keep them safe during the floods.
b) a better, more moral, or more powerful position in an argument or competition:
Neither side in this conflict can claim the moral high ground.
14 . high spirits feelings of happiness and energy, especially when you are having fun:
It was a bright sunny day and we set off in high spirits.
I don’t think they intended any harm – it was just high spirits.
15 . HAPPY/EXCITED [not before noun] happy and excited:
I was still high from the applause.
16 . DRUGS [not before noun] behaving in a strange and excited way as the result of taking drugs
high on
Most people there were high on cocaine.
get high (=take a drug to make yourself high)
Steve was as high as a kite (=strongly affected by drugs or alcohol) .
17 . SEA/RIVER having risen to a high level OPP low :
The river is at its highest in spring.
⇨ ↑ high tide
18 . it is high time somebody did something used to say that something should be done now:
It’s high time you got a job.
19 . TIME the middle or the most important part of a particular period of time:
high summer
high noon (=12 o'clock in the middle of the day) ⇨ ↑ high season
20 . high wind a strong wind
21 . high alert a situation in which people are told to be ready because there is a strong possibility of an attack or of something dangerous happening
put/place somebody on high alert
Troops were put on high alert.
22 . high life/living the enjoyable life that rich and fashionable people have:
We’re all stuck here, while he’s off living the high life in New York.
23 . high drama/adventure very exciting events or situations:
a life with moments of high drama
24 . end/finish/begin etc (something) on a high note to end, finish something etc in a successful way:
The team finished their tour on a high note in Barbados.
25 . high principles/ideals ideas about personal behaviour based on the belief that people should always behave in an honest and morally good way:
a man of high moral principles
26 . high and mighty talking or behaving as if you think you are better or more important than other people:
Don’t get high and mighty with me.
27 . be/get on your high horse to give your opinion about something in a way that shows you think you are definitely right and that other people are wrong:
If she’d get down off her high horse for a moment, she might realize there’s more than one point of view here.
28 . FOOD British English cheese, meat etc that is high is not fresh and has a strong smell or taste
29 . high days and holidays British English special occasions
30 . high complexion/colouring British English a naturally pink or red face
31 . in high dudgeon formal in an angry or offended way – often used humorously
32 . LANGUAGE
a) high style/register British English a very formal style of language, especially used in literature
b) high German/Dutch etc a form of a language used for formal purposes that is often different from the ordinary form used by most people
⇨ ↑ highly , ⇨ stink to high heaven at ↑ stink 1 (1)
• • •
THESAURUS
■ buildings/mountains etc
▪ high measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildings:
the highest mountain in the world
|
The castle was surrounded by high walls.
|
a high cliff
|
The council told the architects the tower was too high.
▪ tall high – used about people, trees, plants, and buildings. Tall is used especially about things that are high and narrow:
tall marble columns
|
A cat was hiding in the tall grass.
|
a tall modern building
▪ majestic especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animals:
the majestic mountains of the Himalayas
|
The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows.
|
The cathedral looked majestic in the evening light.
▪ soaring [only before noun] especially written used about a building or mountain that looks extremely tall and impressive:
a soaring skyscraper
|
the soaring towers of the palace
▪ towering [only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frightening:
The sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison.
|
towering trees
▪ lofty [usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literature:
the lofty peaks in the far distance
▪ high-rise [usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or offices:
a high-rise apartment block
|
He works in a high-rise office in New York.
■ COLLOCATIONS CHECK
▪ high mountain/building/wall/fence
▪ tall person/tree/plant/building/tower/statue
▪ majestic mountain/building/tree/animal
▪ soaring building/tower/mountain
▪ towering wall/tree/mountain/building
▪ lofty building/mountain/tree/heights
▪ high-rise building
■ sounds
▪ high-pitched higher than most sounds or voices:
He has a rather high-pitched voice.
|
Bats make high-pitched squeaks.
|
the high-pitched whine of a dentist's drill
▪ shrill high and unpleasant:
Her voice became more shrill.
|
The bird has rather a shrill cry.
▪ piercing extremely high and loud, in a way that is unpleasant:
a piercing scream
|
Suddenly I heard a piercing whistle.
▪ squeaky making very high noises that are not loud:
a squeaky gate
|
squeaky floorboards
|
a squeaky little voice
II. high 2 S3 BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ Highness , ↑ high ; adverb : ↑ high , ↑ highly ; adjective : ↑ high ]
1 . ABOVE THE GROUND at or to a level high above the ground, the floor etc OPP low :
He kicked the ball high into the air, over the heads of the crowd.
high above/into etc
Hotel Miramar is situated high above the bay.
A ski lift whisks you high into the mountains.
2 . VALUE/COST/AMOUNT at or to a high value, cost, amount etc OPP low :
If prices shoot up any higher, no one will be able to afford to live in the area.
Tom scored higher than anyone else in the class.
3 . SOUND with a high sound:
A strange cry rang high into the night.
4 . ACHIEVEMENT at or to a high rank or level of achievement, especially within a company OPP low :
It seems that the higher you rise, the less time you have to actually do your job.
My parents always encouraged me to aim high.
5 . (leave somebody/something) high and dry
a) if someone is left high and dry, they are left without any help or without the things that they need
b) if a boat, area etc is left high and dry, it is left on land because the water that surrounded it has gone down:
The once-thriving port of Rye was left high and dry as sea levels retreated.
6 . look/search high and low to try to find someone or something by looking everywhere:
We looked high and low for Sandy but couldn’t find her.
⇨ hold your head high at ↑ hold 1 (16), ⇨ live high on the hog at ↑ live 1 (26), ⇨ be riding high at ↑ ride 1 (6), ⇨ run high at ↑ run 1 (28)
III. high 3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ Highness , ↑ high ; adverb : ↑ high , ↑ highly ; adjective : ↑ high ]
1 . NUMBER/AMOUNT the highest price, number, temperature etc that has ever been recorded, or that has been recorded within a particular period of time:
Highs of 40°C were recorded in the region last summer.
a new/record/ten-year etc high
The price of oil reached a new high this week.
2 . EXCITEMENT informal a feeling of great happiness or excitement:
They’re bound to be on a high after such an incredible victory.
the emotional highs and lows of a new romance
3 . DRUGS a feeling of pleasure or excitement produced by some drugs
4 . WEATHER an area of high ↑ pressure that affects the weather
5 . SCHOOL a short form of ↑ high school , used in the name of a school:
Benjamin Franklin High
6 . from on high from someone in a position of authority – used humorously:
An order came from on high.
7 . on high formal
a) at a high temperature as measured by an electric ↑ oven etc:
Microwave on high for eight minutes.
b) formal in a high place or heaven:
An angel came from on high.