high-octane

comparative higher-octane · superlative highest-octane

1. automotiveOf fuel, having a high octane number, good antiknock characteristics; used in high-performance vehicles.

   Now, to do the job, I need some high-octane gasoline.

   1982, Terry Hayes, George Miller, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, spoken by Max (Mel Gibson)

   Antonyms: low-octane

2. broadlyfigurativelyHigh-powered, energetic, forceful or dynamic.

   Will the exponential growth in TV rights income at home and abroad that has fuelled the endless inflation of the Premier League’s high-octane balloon ever level off?

   2016 October 24, Owen Gibson, “Is the unthinkable happening – are people finally switching the football off?”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2023

   1 more example

   So what if the Greeks never had BMX bikes? This year's Olympic Games, which kick off August 8 in China, add high-octane competitions—BMX racing and open-water swimming—and include sports like table tennis taken to Olympian levels.

   2008 January–February, Matt Bean, “Your cultural calendar: 7 things to look forward to this year”, in Men's Health, volume 23, number 1, →ISSN, page 135

   Antonyms: low-octane

3. figurativelyOf a drink, highly intoxicating or caffeinated.

   There's no question that the high-octane beers of Marshall Wharf have had a massive influence on the breweries that have opened in Maine since 2007.

   2013, Josh Christie, Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN