From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhighhigh1 /haɪ/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative higher, superlative highest) 1 from bottom to topHIGH 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 groundHIGH 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 numberLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT 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 rateshigh 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.► see thesaurus at expensive4 good standardGOOD/EXCELLENT a high standard, quality etc is very good OPP low a high-performance computerhigh 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 lotLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT containing a lot of a particular substance or quality OPP lowhigh 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/positionHIGH POSITION OR RANK having an important position in society or within an organization OPP low a high rank in the US Navy the City’s highest honourhigh up (=in a powerful position) someone high up in the CIAhigh 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 friend1(12)7 advanced [only before noun] advanced and often complicated We can offer all the benefits of the latest high technology. the world of high financethe higher animals/mammals/organisms etc (=animals etc that are more intelligent or advanced than others)8 → high opinion/regard/praise etc9 → high priority10 → high hopes/expectations11 soundCHIGH SOUND OR VOICE 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-pitched12 → high point13 → high ground14 → high spirits15 happy/excitedHAPPYEXCITED [not before noun] happy and excited I was still high from the applause.16 drugs [not before noun]MDD behaving in a strange and excited way as the result of taking drugshigh 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/riverHIGH having risen to a high level OPP low The river is at its highest in spring. → high tide18 → it is high time somebody did something19 timePERIOD OF TIME the middle or the most important part of a particular period of time high summerhigh noon (=12 o'clock in the middle of the day) → high season20 → high wind21 → high alert22 → high life/living23 → high drama/adventure24 → end/finish/begin etc (something) on a high note25 → high principles/ideals26 → high and mighty27 → be/get on your high horse28 foodDFF British English cheese, meat etc that is high is not fresh and has a strong smell or taste29 → high days and holidays30 → high complexion/colouring31 → in high dudgeon32 language a) high style/register British EnglishAL 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 stink1(1)THESAURUSbuildings/mountains etchigh measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildingsthe highest mountain in the worldThe castle was surrounded by high walls.a high cliffThe 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 buildingmajestic especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animalsthe majestic mountains of the HimalayasThe 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 impressivea soaring skyscraperthe soaring towers of the palacetowering [only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frighteningThe sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison. towering treeslofty [usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literaturethe lofty peaks in the far distancehigh-rise [usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or officesa high-rise apartment blockHe works in a high-rise office in New York.COLLOCATIONS CHECKhigh mountain/building/wall/fencetall person/tree/plant/building/tower/statuemajestic mountain/building/tree/animalsoaring building/tower/mountaintowering wall/tree/mountain/buildinglofty building/mountain/tree/heightshigh-rise buildingsoundshigh-pitched higher than most sounds or voicesHe has a rather high-pitched voice.Bats make high-pitched squeaks. the high-pitched whine of a dentist's drillshrill high and unpleasantHer voice became more shrill. The bird has rather a shrill cry. piercing extremely high and loud, in a way that is unpleasanta piercing screamSuddenly I heard a piercing whistle.squeaky making very high noises that are not louda squeaky gatesqueaky floorboardsa squeaky little voice
Examples from the Corpus
high• In summer, the temperatures can be as high as 40°C.• Paul has extremely high blood pressure.• A couple of boys had climbed the high chain-link fence to get into the park.• He mocked her by repeating what she said in a high, childish voice.• The price deflator measures the size of price increases, and detects whether higher costs drive consumers away from a product.• I recognized Juliet's high, excited voice on the phone immediately.• I always try to avoid foods with a high fat content.• Dogs respond to sounds that are too high for humans to hear.• Gas prices are much higher here than in other parts of the country.• How high is the Eiffel Tower?• God, I got so high last night.• It's hard to know which products have high lead levels.• Analysts are concerned about the high level of consumer debt.• Gable regards this as an insult to the audience handed out by critics who consider themselves on a higher level.• High levels of radiation have been reported near the nuclear plant.• However, with experience of rather higher levels of use an asphalt surface has now been added to reduce annual maintenance costs.• Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America.• I was amazed that he could sing such high notes.• Donna had some trouble reaching the high notes.• Newton died at age 47 while high on crack cocaine.• Mount St. Alban is Washington's highest point.• Airlines experiment with the highest possible fares over the weekend.• Increased production costs will mean higher prices for consumers.• I try to eat a low-fat, high-protein diet.• The less well off do receive transfer payments and the rich face the highest rates of income tax.• Its first proposed product, is a drug treatment to prevent viral pneumonia in high risk infants.chest/waist/knee etc high• At its deepest I reckoned the water might be waist high.• Cicely sprints down the court, knees high.• It is over my ankles and outside in some places it is waist high.• The thin coat, too thin surely for a night in early November, was pulled waist high.• He ran in a comic manner, lifting his knees high, his elbows pumping furiously.• As soon as the water was waist high, she stood and walked to the side near to the female showers.high proportion/percentage etc (of something)• A high percentage involved people aged between 17 and 24.• A similarly high proportion end in a swift judgment because the defendant is in default or has no real defence.• A very high proportion of nearly all industrialized countries' aid is tied to their own goods or personnel.• Administrative changes during the late nineteenth century should have resulted in a higher proportion of cases being reported.• It is not surprising that a high proportion of patients burst into tears as soon as the physiotherapist begins work.• The cause for this is not clear but one factor could be the higher proportion of miners who had had gastric surgery.• The most relevant feature is the high proportion of multinational corporations in Britain.• Thus participation in sport is increasing due to a higher proportion of the adult population taking part in at least one activity. maintain high standards• He reckons suppliers have a choice: stick with lower prices and compromise on quality or raise prices and maintain high standards.• Tact, vigilance and persistence in maintaining high standards are necessary.• This gives students responsibility for maintaining high standards in these areas.• At the same time, the protectorate's authorities want to maintain high standards of financial propriety with strict rules.• The aim of the group is to maintain high standards of Goldfish keeping.a high sugar/salt/fibre etc content• Certain types of liquids, especially those with a high sugar content, cause bottle tops to stick.• Eating less meat, which has a high salt content, meant that they needed to supplement their salt intake.high society• members of New York's high society• Although personally modest, Astaire pushed off from a world of high society.• He reckoned he'd fit much better into Hollywood and high society.• My first venture into high society.• The brothers intend to show that they will not conform to the practices and hypocrisies of high society.• Torn between high society and the life of the workers on the estate, she makes many mistakes before seeing the truth.• There was no doubt that he could write well about high society, but the market for that sort of thing was dwindling.• Before long, Brighton was a centre of high society second only to London.• And the few people he mixed with in high society turned their backs on him. the higher animals/mammals/organisms etc• Their less advanced bodies appear to be easier to reconstitute than those of the higher animals.high as a kite• They were both as high as a kite.• Last reported early yesterday morning, high as a kite, heading for a train.• That he was high as a kite on Ecstasy and had thought they were larking about!high noon• The siren was simply announcing high noon.• The game starts at high noon.• Pictorially this visual time sequence can be used to suggest morning, high noon, afternoon and evening.• It is high noon and 108 degrees in the shade.• The glaring light of high noon encouraged his use of rich blacks.• Say you were stuck out in the Sonoran wilderness at high noon in summer, lost, thirsty and tired.• The 1987 election marked the high noon of the government of Margaret Thatcher.• It was always high noon there.• From high noon to sundown we blazed and buzzed like hot island bees on sweet cherry trees.• And there they sat without frames, naked in the heat of high noon, waiting to be paid attention to. highhigh2 ●●● S2 W3 adverb 1 above the groundHIGH 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/amountEXPENSIVELOT/LARGE NUMBER OR 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 soundCHIGH SOUND OR VOICE with a high sound A strange cry rang high into the night.4 achievementHIGH POSITION OR RANK 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 dry6 → look/search high and low → hold your head high at hold1(16), → live high on the hog at live1(26), → be riding high at ride1(6), → run high at run1(28)Examples from the Corpus
high• Could the pressure be too high?• The girl's voice rang high above everyone else's.• The dollar climbed higher against the yen today.• Monopolies tend to keep their prices and profits high by restricting the supply of a good.• It has long been thought that a diet high in fiber reduces the risks of cancer.• Sandy continued to rise higher in Zefco's ranks.• And the elder Miss Snoot at her window high up in Old Odborough looks over the roofs of the town.• The phone is high up on the wall.high above/into etc• Empty chairs with harnesses swung violently through the air, high above people's heads.• For once he allowed the cork to fly high into the air.• There he stands, high above the congregation, as though he has removed his last connection with worldly beings.• He flicked away another cigarette as they made their way towards him to continue the drive still higher into the hills.• Neither could she see that around them there were islands rising high above the sea, many islands.• Forget Michelangelo, lying on his back high above the Sistine Chapel floor to paint his famous frescoes.• Living as he did high above the Thames on the fringe of the city, this wasn't his part of London.rang high• Down went Pew, under the horse's feet, with a cry that rang high into the night. aim high• Job satisfaction is commonly a crucial factor in a decision not to aim high.• She wanted to aim high as she was naturally competitive.• I froze in the shelter of my rock, but the glasses were aimed higher, at the tent.highhigh3 ●○○ noun [countable] 1 number/amountMOST 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 excitementEXCITED 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 romance3 drugsMDD a feeling of pleasure or excitement produced by some drugs4 weather an area of high pressure that affects the weather5 schoolSES a short form of high school, used in the name of a school Benjamin Franklin High 6 → from on high7 → on highExamples from the Corpus
high• Highs today were in the mid-90's.• I was on such a high.• But the feeling was different from any high or excitement I had felt before.• The past year has been a rollercoaster one for the royals with a few highs followed by lots of depressing lows.• By junior high, she knew she wanted to play college ball.• The price of oil reached a new high this week.• With the right company, certainly the stock should hit new highs with the next bull market.• The high she got from cocaine never lasted.• It has shed more than 200 points since reaching an all-time high of 5,689. 74 on April 3.reached a new high• It was the third time this season that Strickland reached a new high.highs and lows• Tendency to mania; has highs and lows.• This book follows young Pip through his life and into his mid thirties and shows his highs and lows.• For Kip, highs and lows were tolerable.• There are too many jagged edges to the Clinton experience, too many highs and lows.• The Tide tables can not be relied on for precise highs and lows of the tides.• The event had all the highs and lows of a record attempt.• Julia Knights reports on the highs and lows of harvest 2000. -high-high /haɪ/ suffix [in adjectives] HIGHof a particular height The wall was about chest-high (=as high as your chest). a 7,000 metre-high mountainFrom Longman Business Dictionaryhighhigh1 /haɪ/ noun [countable] the largest amount, figure, value etc in a particular period of timeAdvancing stocks again led as 162 issues reached new highs and only 14 dropped to new lows. → historic high → intraday high → life-of-contract high → record high → session highhighhigh2 adjective1a high amount, number, or level is more than normal, more than average, or more than it was beforehigh interest ratesProperty prices remain high.A high proportion of female directors are in the 35-to-55 age range.Sales to rental car companies made up a high percentage of the vehicles sold by General Motors.There is still a high risk that the US currency will fall back during the year.2a high position in an organization is an important oneHe rose swiftly to high office. → compare low1highhigh3 adverb at or to a high amount, number, level etcPrices could go even higher early this year.Western-educated technocrats high up in powerful bureaucraciesOrigin high1 Old English heah 