verb
highball
HEYE-bahl
verb
1
To inflate a figure or claim well beyond what is realistic.
"The contractor highballed the repair estimate to scare us into a cheaper quote."
2
To move at speed, especially to leave in a hurry.
"As soon as the alarm sounded, they highballed it out of there."
noun
1
A tall mixed drink, typically spirits with a larger amount of a non-alcoholic mixer, served over ice.
"He ordered a whiskey highball to cool off."
How to Use Highball
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDepending on context: to wildly overstate a number, to move fast, or a tall mixed drink over ice.
Common pairings
highball estimate
highball glass
whiskey highball
Word Forms
highballed past tense, highballs singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “highball”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The contractor _____ the repair estimate to scare us into a cheaper quote.
Etymology
From railroad signalling, where a raised ("high") ball-shaped signal meant "go ahead at full speed" — the sense later carried over to exaggerated estimates and to the tall drink named for its glass.