high on the totem pole

adjective

Accorded relatively high importance.

Opposite
low on the totem pole
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Meanings

adjectivehigh on the totem pole (comparative higher on the totem pole, superlative highest on the totem pole)

comparative higher on the totem pole · superlative highest on the totem pole

  1. idiomaticoffensivepossiblyAccorded relatively high importance.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
low on the totem pole
Also see
bigcrucialearnestessentialfatefraughtfatefulfatesomegraveimportantnoticeableominousparamounttop of mindvital

Origin

Derived from totem poles, traditional sculptures of wood made by American Indians, usually with several figures carved one above the other. The vertical order was mistakenly perceived by the non-Indians to correspond with the figures' rank of importance.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

high on the totem pole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20on%20the%20totem%20pole

MLA

“high on the totem pole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20on%20the%20totem%20pole. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “high on the totem pole,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20on%20the%20totem%20pole.

Source: high on the totem pole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.