1
as in aristocratic
being or characteristic of a person who has an offensive air of superiority and tends to ignore or disdain anyone regarded as inferior
at the wedding reception the bride's high-hat relatives did their considerable best to ignore us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
several high-hat society types arrived after we did, but they got seated first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to disdain
to show contempt for
one presidential candidate presents himself as an outsider who has long been high-hatted by the Beltway elite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to isolate
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
was high-hatted by an old college friend who's now a power player on Wall Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in hard hat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of high-hat
Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025
For the opening scene, in which a couple makes out in a car, singer Stuart A. Staples croons the title track, with some café jazz accompaniment: Bass, piano, and lightly tapped high-hat.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
The bass, high-hat, guitar, and vocals all remain distinct in this busy mix and benefit from strong detail when the track fully kicks in.
—PCMAG, 10 July 2024
As the drummer counted in on his high-hat my mind went blank: not just on how to play the song, but how to play guitar, how to stay standing, how to blink, breathe, and stay conscious.
—Chris Fleming, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2023
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
Instead of high hats, use wall washers, which bounce light off the walls and space.
—Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Going high hat just did not fit, and on Sept. 9, 1927, the Bernheimer flags came down.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2022
It’s one of those ABBA songs that fools you with its mirror ball synths, a classic disco rhythm on the high hat and lush harmonizing.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 6 Nov. 2021
Indeed, at Thursday’s show in Charlotte, Jordan integrated Watts’ signature swing – and his unusual way of playing by not hitting the high hat and snare simultaneously – with his own muscular approach.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2021
Deja stifled a yawn and cranked up her music; the warring bass and high hat thrummed in her chest and kept her mostly awake.
—Brittany N. Williams, NOLA.com, 26 Oct. 2020
The song -- a frenetic trap banger built from buzzy synths and high hat -- debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 on March 2, 2013, the same week Billboard started factoring YouTube streaming data into the chart's methodology.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2019
Here comes one now, rattling catastrophically, like Max Roach whaling on the high hat.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2019
Adjective
Over the last few years, a bevy of high-hat hotels have begun competing for the Big Apple’s best guests.
—Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2025
For the opening scene, in which a couple makes out in a car, singer Stuart A. Staples croons the title track, with some café jazz accompaniment: Bass, piano, and lightly tapped high-hat.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
The bass, high-hat, guitar, and vocals all remain distinct in this busy mix and benefit from strong detail when the track fully kicks in.
—PCMAG, 10 July 2024
As the drummer counted in on his high-hat my mind went blank: not just on how to play the song, but how to play guitar, how to stay standing, how to blink, breathe, and stay conscious.
—Chris Fleming, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2023
Noun
Carter Beauford, perhaps the most unheralded drummer in music, busied himself with syncopated patterns and dizzying high hat on the song.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
Instead of high hats, use wall washers, which bounce light off the walls and space.
—Adam Shell, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Going high hat just did not fit, and on Sept. 9, 1927, the Bernheimer flags came down.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2022
It’s one of those ABBA songs that fools you with its mirror ball synths, a classic disco rhythm on the high hat and lush harmonizing.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 6 Nov. 2021
Indeed, at Thursday’s show in Charlotte, Jordan integrated Watts’ signature swing – and his unusual way of playing by not hitting the high hat and snare simultaneously – with his own muscular approach.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2021
Deja stifled a yawn and cranked up her music; the warring bass and high hat thrummed in her chest and kept her mostly awake.
—Brittany N. Williams, NOLA.com, 26 Oct. 2020
The song -- a frenetic trap banger built from buzzy synths and high hat -- debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 on March 2, 2013, the same week Billboard started factoring YouTube streaming data into the chart's methodology.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2019
Here comes one now, rattling catastrophically, like Max Roach whaling on the high hat.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-hat
Adjective
-
Historical memory Even before the conflict was over, aristocratic Anglican writers such as Sir Richard Musgrave spun the rebellion as an uprising of disgruntled Catholics.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
-
Just six years ago, the Times Square Alliance temporarily installed a similarly monumental statue by the artist Kehinde Wiley, who rose to stardom for his aristocratic portraits of contemporary Black people.—
Andrew Keh,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Perhaps no other American statesman has ever disdained the role of idealism in foreign policy—the meddling of human-rights activists and democracy crusaders—quite like Kissinger.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2025
-
The Minervois is a sunny land of black truffles, red marble, oak and juniper forests and castles constructed by Cathars (pescatarian Christians who disdained the symbol of the cross, were branded as heretics and subsequently slaughtered wholesale by Papal decree in the 13th century).—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
My husband was isolating in our spare bedroom, leaving food outside my door three times a day.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
31 May 2025
-
The recent Russian advances in Donetsk, while incremental, were enabled by the tactic of isolating the battlefield – cutting Ukrainian units from supplies through drone strikes on supply vehicles up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the front lines.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
His Cabinet gathered in the Rose Garden alongside supporters wearing hard hats and reflective vests—a stagy reference to all the manufacturing jobs that would presumably be flooding back to U.S. soil.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
-
While hard hats were not required, the team donned pads for the first time as the players pushed through the first three practices, emphasizing the fundamentals and instilling a sense of effort.—
Matt Murschel,
Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks delivered superior returns with lower risk compared to the benchmark index, creating less of a turbulent experience as reflected in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
The Pacers, behind an unrelenting uptempo attack and superior depth, have won the third and fourth quarters in both games, as well as overtime in Game 1.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
Makes no sense but Dabo being disrespected isn't new either.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
The trauma of being constantly blamed, ignored, disrespected, or made to question your own worth is just as life-altering.—
Shayla Brown,
Essence,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Harsh cleaning powders and gels can scratch the surface, as can stiff brushes and scouring pads.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 May 2025
-
The past two comparable moves in this small-investor proxy, in November 2022 and March 2022, led to stiff near-term declines in the basket within weeks.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-hat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-hat. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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