- high-flown
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adjective
Date: 1647
1. exceedingly or excessively high or favorable
2. having an excessively embellished or inflated character ; pretentious <high-flown language>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
high-flown
Look at other dictionaries:
High-flown — a. 1. Elevated; proud. High flown hopes. Denham. [1913 Webster] 2. Turgid; extravagant; bombastic; inflated; as, high flown language. M. Arnold. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
high-flown — adj high flown language sounds impressive but does not have much real meaning … Dictionary of contemporary English
high-flown — [ ,haı floun ] adjective high flown ideas or language sound very complicated or important but are often not very useful or practical … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
high-flown — high′ flown′ adj. 1) extravagant in aims, pretensions, etc 2) pretentiously lofty; bombastic: high flown oratory[/ex] • Etymology: 1640–50 … From formal English to slang
high-flown — [hī′flōn′] adj. 1. extravagantly ambitious or aspiring 2. high sounding but meaningless; bombastic … English World dictionary
high-flown — index flatulent, fustian, inflated (bombastic), orotund, turgid Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
high-flown — [adj] exalted, lofty bombastic, elaborate, exaggerated, extravagant, grandiloquent, grandiose, inflated, showy, turgid; concept 562 … New thesaurus
high-flown — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (especially of language) extravagant or grandiose … English terms dictionary
high-flown — adjective 1. pretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals) high flown talk of preserving the moral tone of the school a high sounding dissertation on the means to attain social revolution • Syn: ↑high sounding, ↑inflated • Similar to … Useful english dictionary
high-flown — ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n (disapproval) High flown language is very grand, formal, or literary. It is highly probable that many of the Service s personnel were put off by such high flown rhetoric … English dictionary
