high hurdles: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2neutral, formal, metaphorical
Quick answer
What does “high hurdles” mean?
A track and field event where athletes run and jump over a series of barriers set at a regulation height (1.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A track and field event where athletes run and jump over a series of barriers set at a regulation height (1.067m for men).
Metaphorically, any series of significant challenges, difficulties, or demanding stages that must be overcome to achieve a goal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The metaphorical use is equally common in both dialects.
Connotations
Connotes a challenging, sequential, and demanding process. The sports term has strong athletic connotations.
Frequency
The metaphorical use is very frequent in business and political journalism in both dialects. The sports term is common in athletic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “high hurdles” in a Sentence
to face high hurdles (in doing something)to clear/overcome/jump (over) high hurdlesto be a high hurdle to somethingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “high hurdles” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They will need to high-hurdle their way through the planning enquiries.
- The team is high-hurdling to meet the deadline.
American English
- The company had to high-hurdle several legal challenges.
- She's been high-hurdling bureaucracy all week.
adverb
British English
- They progressed high-hurdle through each stage.
American English
- We moved high-hurdle through the checklist.
adjective
British English
- It was a high-hurdle regulatory environment.
- He's in a high-hurdle race for promotion.
American English
- The high-hurdle process discouraged many applicants.
- A high-hurdle qualifying round.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to regulatory approvals, funding challenges, or major competitive barriers.
Academic
Can describe methodological challenges or stringent peer-review processes.
Everyday
Used metaphorically for personal challenges like buying a house or career progression.
Technical
Specifically the 110m (men) or 100m (women) hurdles event in athletics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “high hurdles”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “high hurdles”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “high hurdles”
- Using a singular verb with the sports term ('The high hurdles is difficult' is correct; 'The high hurdles are difficult' is metaphorical).
- Confusing 'hurdles' with 'hurdle' (singular). 'High hurdles' is the standard term for the event.
- Incorrect: 'He faced a high hurdles.' Correct: 'He faced high hurdles.' or 'He faced a high hurdle.'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost always. The event and the metaphorical challenges are conceived as a series. You might refer to 'a high hurdle' as one specific challenge within that series.
In athletics, 'hurdles' is the general category. 'High hurdles' specifically refers to the standard men's 110m and women's 100m events, as opposed to 'intermediate hurdles' (400m) which are slightly lower.
Yes, but it emphasises difficulty. 'Clearing the high hurdles' implies a significant achievement, so the context is positive but the process described is tough.
It is neutral to formal. It's common in journalism, business, and academic writing. It would be less common in very casual conversation, where simpler terms like 'big problems' might be used.
A track and field event where athletes run and jump over a series of barriers set at a regulation height (1.
High hurdles: in British English it is pronounced /haɪ ˈhɜː.dl̩z/, and in American English it is pronounced /haɪ ˈhɝː.dl̩z/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “life is a series of high hurdles”
- “jump through high hurdles (to do something)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a very TALL (high) fence you have to jump over (a hurdle) while running. Now imagine many in a row. That's the challenge, both literally and figuratively.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/A PROCESS IS A HURDLING RACE, where PROBLEMS ARE PHYSICAL BARRIERS and PROGRESS IS FORWARD MOTION OVER BARRIERS.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'high hurdles' used LEAST literally?