adj. 1
Lofty, often to the point of arrogant, haughty, boastful, proud.
n. 1
A high point or position, literally (as, an elevated place; a superior region; a height; the sky; heaven) or figuratively (as, a point of success or achievement; a time when things are at their best, greatest, most numerous, maximum, etc).
Inflation reached a ten-year high.

Related words

Word family: highball high-beam highbred highbrow high-cheekboner high-class high-daddy high-end
Phrases: high spirits high point high priest high society high noon high tide high-school high country

Forms

Plural: highs → high-schools, anticyclones…

Choose the right word

High, Lofty or Noble?

High is a relative term signifying greatly raised above any object, base, or surface, in comparison with what is usual, or with some standard; a table is high if it exceeds thirty inches; a hill is not high at a hundred feet. A high ambition may be merely selfish; a lofty ambition is worthy and noble.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

tall A tall tree projects its long shadow on the water.
elevated An elevated seaside bike path collapsed in Rio.
soaring Our aircraft is soaring over the clouds right now.
lofty That's to me like a flower on lofty heights.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
high		steady
tall		rising
elevated		steady
soaring		rising
lofty		steady
haute		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: long¹, full¹, dear¹, tall¹, hawt, gurt
5 letters: great¹, drunk¹, tight¹, sharp¹, noble², acute², nasal², lofty², haute¹, gamey
6 letters: strong¹, shrill¹
7 letters: extreme², violent³, heights¹, soaring², exalted³, squeaky²
8 letters: superior⁴, elevated⁴, towering³
9 letters: excellent³
11 letters: anticyclone⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (noble² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: défoncé