Meaning of high In English

• 0 (especially of things that are not living) being a large distance from top to bottom or a long way above the ground, or having the stated distance from top to bottom:

  • a high building/mountain

  • high ceilings

  • It's two and a half metres high and one metre wide.

  • The corn grew waist-high (= as high as a person's waist) in the fields.

• 1 greater than the usual level or amount:

  • The job demands a high level of concentration.

  • He suffers from high blood pressure.

  • Antique furniture fetches very high prices these days.

  • She got very high marks in her geography exam.

  • It's very dangerous to drive at high speed when the roads are wet.

  • He's in a high-security prison.

  • I avoid foods that are high in fat.

  • She was a woman of high principles.

  • She demands very high standards from the people who work for her.

  • High winds caused delays on the ferries.

• 2 having power, an important position, or great influence:

  • an officer of high rank

• 3 near or at the top of the range of sounds:

  • I can't reach the high notes.

• 4 (of food) smelling bad and no longer good to eat:

  • This meat is rather high - I'm going to throw it out.

• 5 not thinking or behaving normally because of taking drugs:

  • He was high on heroin at the time.

• 6 a higher level than has ever been reached previously:

  • Interest rates have reached an all-time/record high.

• 7 a period of extreme excitement or happiness when you feel full of energy, often caused by a feeling of success, or by drugs or alcohol or a religious experience:

  • Exercise gives you a high.

  • She's been on a high ever since she got her article published in the Times.

  • There are lots of highs and lows in this job.

• 8 informal for high school (when used in the name of a school):

  • I go to Santa Ana High.

• 9 at or to a large distance from the ground:

  • You'll have to hit the ball quite high to get it over that net.

  • The new jet flew much higher than most planes.

• 10 (esp. of things that are not living) being a large distance from top to bottom or a long way above the ground, or having the stated distance from top to bottom:

  • Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

  • We had to climb over a wall that was ten feet high.

• 11 greater than the usual level:

  • high standards of quality

  • high salaries

  • a high level of concentration

  • She was driving at high speed on a wet road.

  • The companies produce high-quality olive oils.

  • The high point of my week is arriving home from work on a Friday evening.

• 12 having power, great influence, or an important position:

  • He is an officer of high rank.

  • She has a lot of friends in high places (= in positions of power).

• 13 near or at the top of the range of sounds:

  • Dog whistles play notes that are too high for human beings to hear.

• 14 feeling extremely happy, excited, or full of energy:

  • He was so high after winning the race that he couldn’t sit still.

  • She was in high spirits after scoring the winning basket.

• 15 at or to a large distance from the ground:

  • The Concorde flies much higher than most airplanes.

• 16 a higher level than has ever been reached before:

  • Interest rates have reached an all-time high.

• 17 a period of extreme excitement or happiness, when you feel full of energy:

  • There are lots of highs and lows in this job.

• 18 greater than the usual level or amount:

  • high interest rates/costs/expenses/prices

  • a high degree/percentage/proportion The research evidence all indicates a high degree of customer satisfaction with the product.

• 19 in a position of power, importance, or great influence:

  • The firm has been propelled from investment banking's third division to its highest rank.

• 20 better than the usual quality or standard:

  • She demanded and achieved high standards from those with whom she worked.

  • The company stresses speed, low cost, and high quality in its products.

  • The community has a stable work force, good jobs and a high quality of life.

• 21 a higher level than has been reached previously:

  • Stocks end at new highs for the fourth session in a row.

• 22 the times that follow each other when a company, career, investment, etc. is successful and when it is not:

  • All jobs have an element of routine and a cycle of highs and lows.

  • Jonathan, 25, has already seen some of the highs and lows of the business world.

• 23 from senior people in an organization:

  • If the changes are to be sustainable, they should not merely be imposed upon employees from on high.

• 24 at or to a position of greater importance or influence:

  • As she rose higher in the firm she began to clash with other top executives.

• 25 at or to more than the usual level or amount:

  • Interest rates moved higher, in response to signs of an economic rebound.