1
: exceedingly or excessively high or favorable
2
: having an excessively embellished or inflated character : pretentious
high-flown language

Examples of high-flown in a Sentence

gave a high-flown reply instead of a simple "yes" or "no" answer high-flown speeches about the nobleness of their cause
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Order this: If all this is too high-flown for you, call for The Hook Up, your basic red sauce-sausage-pepperoni deal. Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 14 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-flown was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near high-flown

Cite this Entry

“High-flown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-flown. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

high-flown

adjective
ˈhī-ˈflōn
: not plain or simple : flowery, extravagant
high-flown language

More from Merriam-Webster on high-flown

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!