high horse

high horse
noun
an attitude of arrogant superiority
-

get off your high horse and admit you are wrong

• Hypernyms: ↑attitude, ↑mental attitude

* * *

noun
1. : an unyielding, pretentious, or arrogant mood : a high and mighty air or attitude

when he … saw the desperate need for more men, he came down off his high horse — J.F.Dobie

wanted to get on her high horse and treat him as if he were nothing — William Heuman

2. : a sulky or resentful mood, air, or attitude

on your high horse because he didn't praise your mince — Arnold Bennett

* * *

a haughty attitude or temper; a contemptuous manner.
[1375-1425; late ME]

* * *

high horse see ↑on one's high horse under ↑high1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑horse

* * *

high horse,
an arrogant or condescending attitude or disposition: »

Relax and enjoy it, without getting up on a high horse (Harper's).

* * *

noun [singular]
informal
◇ If you are on a/your high horse, you are talking or behaving in a way that shows that you think you are better than other people or that you know more about something than other people do.

I'm not going to get up on a high horse and tell you that you're wrong for doing this.

Oh, climb/get (down) off your high horse. You don't know any more about it than the rest of us.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • high horse — originally (late 14c.) fine, tall horse; war horse, charger (high steed is from c.1300), also, like high hall, status symbol; figurative sense of airs, easily wounded dignity in mount (one s) high horse affect airs of superiority is from 1782… …   Etymology dictionary

  • high horse — high′ horse′ n. a haughty attitude • Etymology: 1375–1425 …   From formal English to slang

  • high horse — /ˈhaɪ hɔs/ (say huy haws) noun 1. a warhorse; charger. –phrase 2. get off one s high horse, to cease to adopt a superior or indignant tone. 3. get on one s high horse, Colloquial to adopt a superior tone or attitude that gives offence to others.… …  

  • high horse — n. (colloq.) arrogance to get on one s high horse * * * (colloq.) [ arrogance ] to get on one s high horse …   Combinatory dictionary

  • To be on a high horse — High High, a. [Compar. {Higher}; superl. {Highest}.] [OE. high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he[ a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h, OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw. h[ o]g, Dan. h[ o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound, G. h[… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • high horse — noun Date: 1721 an arrogant and unyielding mood or attitude …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • high horse — a haughty attitude or temper; a contemptuous manner. [1375 1425; late ME] * * * …   Universalium

  • high horse — Synonyms and related words: Olympian detachment, Olympian loftiness, arrogance, arrogantness, assumption of superiority, condescendence, condescension, domineering, domineeringness, haughtiness, haughty airs, hauteur, hoity toitiness, hoity toity …   Moby Thesaurus

  • on one's high horse — {adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Acting as if you are better than others; being very proud and scornful. * /Martha was chairman of the picnic committee, and at the picnic she was on her high horse, telling everyone what to do./ * /Mrs. Jones asked to… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • on one's high horse — {adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Acting as if you are better than others; being very proud and scornful. * /Martha was chairman of the picnic committee, and at the picnic she was on her high horse, telling everyone what to do./ * /Mrs. Jones asked to… …   Dictionary of American idioms

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”