high-flown

adjective

ˈhī-ˈflōn How to pronounce high-flown (audio)
Definition of high-flownnext
1
as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions gave a high-flown reply instead of a simple "yes" or "no" answer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in eloquent
very dignified in form, tone, or style high-flown speeches about the nobleness of their cause

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-flown
  1. rhetorical
  2. eloquent
  3. ornate
  4. formal
  5. majestic
  6. literary
Adjective
  • The latest Piker rhetorical bomb El-Sayed had to dodge was the streamer’s assertion in an interview with Axios, excerpts of which were posted Thursday, that the United States is more of a fomenter of terrorism than al-Qaeda.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • By retaining too much of the play’s rhetorical architecture, the film turns a provocative dramatic premise into something closer to an illustrated thesis.
    — Beandrea July, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of rhetorical
Adjective
  • The preschoolers who had a tough time delaying gratification— who ate the first marshmallow—were less academically and socially skilled, eloquent, attentive, and not as good at managing frustration in adolescence.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Fittingly, this is a very American intersection of wealth and power, the exact kind of problem about which James Baldwin was always so eloquent and incisive.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of eloquent
Adjective
  • And John Hancock’s grand, ornate signature on the Declaration of Independence became so famous that his name is now a term for signatures in general.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • On Thursday morning the ornate marble lobby of the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan was turned into a museum of Hollywood history.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ornate
Adjective
  • The president may reveal Clayton's appointment as soon as Friday, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity before a formal announcement.
    — Jeff Masonand Michael Shepard Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The very fact that this has now been given a formal college inside the PLA’s Army Engineering University is telling, however.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of formal
Adjective
  • Prepare to come within an arm’s reach of majestic elephants who silently mill through camp to say hello nearly every afternoon while grazing and seeking shade.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There were handheld American flags on skinny sticks, midsize ones to display on a wall and majestic formal flags adorned with silky gold fringe.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of majestic
Adjective
  • Which is to say the agents are hustling — and even trying to submit to literary magazines — to stay alive.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The television project marks another book-to-screen development for StudioCanal Stories, the label the European studio set up in 2024 to focus on adapting literary properties across film and television.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of literary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

highfliers
high-flown
high-flying
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Cite this Entry

“High-flown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-flown. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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