high
heye
High (adj) means extending a long way upward; tall or elevated. Example: “The ladder was not high enough to reach the top of the wall.”
adj
1
Extending a long way upward; tall or elevated.
"The ladder was not high enough to reach the top of the wall."
"They built a high fence around the garden."
"The plane climbed to a high altitude."
2
Ranking above others in importance, status, or quality.
"She holds a high position in the company."
"He has high standards for his own work."
"The restaurant has a high reputation among local food lovers."
3
Large in amount, degree, or intensity.
"Hospitals reported a high number of visitors during the hot weekend."
"The recipe calls for a high oven temperature."
"Fuel prices are high this month."
4
Cheerful and excited, or, informally, under the influence of a drug.
"The children were high on excitement the night before the school trip."
"The whole team was riding high after the win."
"He admitted he was high at the party."
5
Sharp or acute in pitch; producing rapid sound vibrations.
"The kettle gave a high whistle as soon as the water boiled."
"The singer hit a surprisingly high note."
"Dogs can hear sounds at a much higher pitch than humans."
adv
1
In or to an elevated position.
"The kite flew high above the trees."
"The eagle soared high over the valley."
"He threw the ball high into the air and caught it."
How to use high
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFar up, or far above the normal amount, level, or standard — used for height, price, status, sound pitch, and mood.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "highly," an adverb used for degree ("highly regarded"), not physical height. "The bird flew high," not "flew highly."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
high above
high standards
run high
high pitch
get high
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- highs
- Past tense
- highed
- Comparative
- higher
- Superlative
- highest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The ladder was not _____ enough to reach the top of the wall.
Etymology
From Old English hēah, going back through Proto-Germanic to a very old root meaning "to bend" — the same distant root that gave the name Caucasus (mountains that "bend upward").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for high
See all rhymes for high →Frequently asked questions
What does “high” mean?
The word “high” means extending a long way upward; tall or elevated. In plain terms, far up, or far above the normal amount, level, or standard — used for height, price, status, sound pitch, and mood.
How do you pronounce “high”?
“High” is pronounced heye (/haɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “high” in a sentence?
Here is “high” used in a sentence: “They built a high fence around the garden.”
What is another word for “high”?
Words with a similar meaning to “high” include haute, hawt, tall and drunk.
What is the opposite of “high”?
The opposite of “high” — its antonyms — is low.
What part of speech is “high”?
Depending on how it is used, “high” can be an adjective and an adverb.
Where does the word “high” come from?
The word “high” comes from Old English. From Old English hēah, going back through Proto-Germanic to a very old root meaning "to bend" — the same distant root that gave the name Caucasus (mountains that "bend upward").
Is “high” a common word?
“High” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between 'high' and 'highly'?
'High' describes literal height or position — 'a high wall,' 'the plane flew high.' 'Highly' means to a great degree and is used figuratively — 'highly respected,' 'highly unlikely.' You would not say 'highly wall.' In short, 'high' measures physical elevation, while 'highly' intensifies qualities or opinions.
What is the difference between 'high' and 'tall'?
'Tall' describes something greater than average from top to bottom, usually people or narrow objects — 'a tall man,' 'a tall tree.' 'High' describes distance above the ground or general elevation — 'a high shelf,' 'high mountains.' A person is tall, not high; a ceiling is high, not tall.
What is the opposite of 'high'?
The opposite is 'low,' meaning close to the ground or not far up. A high shelf becomes a low shelf; high ground becomes low ground. In the figurative sense of amount, 'high' prices are the opposite of 'low' prices. The pairing works for both literal height and measured levels.
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing high in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
Among 21 selected stocks, the median is down roughly 65% from its record high.
From
Yahoo Finance · Jul 25, 2026
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