contact high: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, Slang
Quick answer
What does “contact high” mean?
A mild state of intoxication or euphoria experienced by a person who is not directly consuming a drug, simply from being in proximity to others who are using it, especially cannabis.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A mild state of intoxication or euphoria experienced by a person who is not directly consuming a drug, simply from being in proximity to others who are using it, especially cannabis.
A metaphorical sense of experiencing a secondary effect or influence from being near someone who is intensely enthusiastic, energetic, or in a positive state, without directly participating in the source activity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term originated and is primarily used in American English. It is understood in British English but used less frequently and may be considered an Americanism.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries countercultural or youth-culture connotations. The metaphorical use is slightly more likely in American creative or business jargon (e.g., 'getting a contact high from the team's excitement').
Frequency
Much more common in American English. In the UK, phrases like 'second-hand smoke' (for the literal effect) or 'caught up in the excitement' (for the metaphorical) might be more typical.
Grammar
How to Use “contact high” in a Sentence
[Subject] gets/experiences a contact high (from [Source])A contact high (from [Source])Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “contact high” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I think I'm contact-highing just from the smell in this corridor.
- He seemed to be contact-highing off the crowd's energy.
American English
- Dude, I'm totally contact-highing right now.
- You can't just contact-high off your friend's success forever.
adverb
British English
- He smiled contact-highly, not having touched anything himself.
American English
- They laughed contact-highly, just from the atmosphere.
adjective
British English
- It was a contact-high experience, really.
- He had a contact-high glaze in his eyes.
American English
- She was in a contact-high daze.
- The whole room had a contact-high vibe.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except metaphorically: 'After the successful pitch, even the accountants seemed to get a contact high from the sales team's energy.'
Academic
Very rare, potentially in sociology or public health papers discussing passive drug exposure.
Everyday
The primary context, used in informal conversation about social drug use or intense group moods.
Technical
Used in some drug education or public health contexts to describe the phenomenon of passive psychoactive exposure.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “contact high”
- Using it to describe direct drug use ('I got high from contact high' is redundant/incorrect).
- Spelling as one word: 'contacthigh'.
- Using in overly formal contexts where it sounds jarring.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The term is overwhelmingly associated with cannabis due to the prevalence of passive inhalation via smoke. It is theoretically possible with other smoked drugs, but the phrase is not standardly used for them.
With cannabis, it is considered a mild but real physiological effect caused by inhaling second-hand smoke containing THC. The metaphorical use is, of course, psychological.
It is informal slang. It would not be used in legal, medical, or formal academic writing without quotation marks or explicit definition.
Yes, its metaphorical use is generally positive, describing the pleasant experience of absorbing someone else's excitement or good mood, e.g., 'I got a contact high from her infectious laughter.'
A mild state of intoxication or euphoria experienced by a person who is not directly consuming a drug, simply from being in proximity to others who are using it, especially cannabis.
Contact high: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒn.tækt ˌhaɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːn.tækt ˌhaɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Get a contact high”
- “Buzzing off someone else's vibe”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine touching (contact) a hot light bulb (high) without actually screwing it in yourself—you feel the heat just from being near it.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTOXICATION IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE / EMOTION IS A DRUG.
Practice
Quiz
In which scenario is the term 'contact high' used MOST appropriately?