hold one's head high

verb

To act with pride; to be proud in a positive way.

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Meanings

verbhold one's head high (third-person singular simple present holds one's head high, present participle holding one's head high, simple past and past participle held one's head high)

present singular third person holds one's head high · participle present holding one's head high · participle past held one's head high · past held one's head high

  1. idiomaticTo act with pride; to be proud in a positive way.

    And I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself / I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high

    1978, Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren, “I Will Survive”, in Love Tracks, performed by Gloria Gaynor
    4 more examples

    Hold your head up high / Lay your dreams right up to the sky / Sing your greatest song / And you'll keep going, going on

    1973, Donny Hathaway, Edward Howard, “Someday We'll All Be Free”, in Extension of a Man, performed by Donny Hathaway

    So a man's put to task and challenges / I was taught to hold my head high / Collect what is mine / Make the best of what today has.

    2008, “Houston”, in Accelerate, performed by R.E.M.

    How on earth are we supposed to hold our heads high as the 'mother of parliaments' when we allow to continue the practice of almost openly buying a seat in parliament?

    2013 October 31, Rowena Mason, quoting David Steel, “Lord Steel criticises culture of spin and tweeting in modern politics”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

    It was a clash for the ages as the battling All Blacks were full value for their effort. They can hold their heads high after it looked like South Africa was in control halfway through the match.

    2023 October 28, Leighton Koopman, “YES!!! The Springboks beat the All Blacks to win another Rugby World Cup title”, in Independent Online

Translations

Catalan anar amb el cap alt
  • anar amb el cap altact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Chinese Mandarin 昂首闊步 /昂首阔步
  • 昂首闊步 /昂首阔步 (ángshǒukuòbù)act with pride — see also with one's head held high
Finnish pitää päänsä pystyssä
  • pitää päänsä pystyssäact with pride — see also with one's head held high
French garder la tête haute
  • garder la tête hauteact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Icelandic bera bratt hala sinn
  • bera bratt hala sinnact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Italian restare a testa alta
  • restare a testa altaact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Polish chodzić z podniesionym czołem
  • chodzić z podniesionym czołemact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Portuguese manter a cabeça erguida
  • manter a cabeça erguidaact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Spanish mantener la frente en alto, mantener la cabeza en alto
  • mantener la frente en altoact with pride — see also with one's head held high
  • mantener la cabeza en altoact with pride — see also with one's head held high
  • mantener la cabeza altaact with pride — see also with one's head held high
Cite this entry
APA

hold one's head high. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20head%20high

MLA

“hold one's head high.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20head%20high. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold one's head high,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20head%20high.

Source: hold one's head high on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.