Meanings
comparative more high-flown · superlative most high-flown
- pretentiously eloquent; highly figurative
Red River Settlement is, to use a high-flown expression, an oasis in the desert, and may be likened to a spot upon the moon or a solitary ship upon the ocean. In plain English, it is an isolated settlement on the borders of one of the vast prairies of North America.
1850, R.M. Ballantyne, Hudson BaySynonyms: bombastic
- lofty, extravagant, refined
It seems to me he makes troubles, by expecting every one else to be as quixotic as himself. He is not likely to find high-flown notions among ordinary business men!
1905, Mrs George de Horne Vaizey, A Houseful of GirlsSynonyms: high-minded
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivepretentiously eloquent; highly figurative
adjectivelofty, extravagant, refined
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivepretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals)
adjectiveof high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian бомбастичен, екстравагантен
- бомбастичен (bombastičen)pretentiously eloquent; highly figurative
- екстравагантен (ekstravaganten)lofty, extravagant
Swedish högtravande
- högtravandepretentiously eloquent; highly figurative
Cite this entry
high-flown. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high-flown
“high-flown.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high-flown. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “high-flown,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high-flown.
Source: high-flown on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.