high style: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal
Quick answer
What does “high style” mean?
A sophisticated, elaborate, or very fashionable manner of doing something, especially in design, fashion, or living.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A sophisticated, elaborate, or very fashionable manner of doing something, especially in design, fashion, or living.
A manner or aesthetic characterized by elegance, formality, luxury, and often exclusivity; can also refer to a highly sophisticated or affected way of speaking or behaving.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used similarly in both varieties. 'High fashion' is a more common synonymous phrase, especially in British English.
Connotations
In both, can carry slightly negative connotations of being ostentatious or impractical. In positive use, it denotes top-tier sophistication.
Frequency
More frequent in written domains like design, fashion, and architecture journalism than in everyday speech.
Grammar
How to Use “high style” in a Sentence
[Noun] in high stylehigh-style [Noun]do something in high styleVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “high style” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They entertained in truly high style.
American English
- The newlyweds traveled in high style.
adverb
British English
- The event was organised high style, with champagne and canapés.
American English
- They do everything high style, never cutting corners.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in luxury brand marketing or high-end real estate descriptions.
Academic
Rare. Possible in art history, design studies, or cultural criticism texts.
Everyday
Low. Used consciously to describe something notably luxurious or fashionable.
Technical
Used in fashion, interior design, and architecture criticism as a descriptive term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “high style”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “high style”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “high style”
- Using 'high style' to mean simply 'good style' (it implies extravagance). Confusing it with 'high fashion' (though closely related).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are closely related. 'High fashion' specifically refers to the leading edge of fashion design. 'High style' is broader, applying to any area (living, speaking, design) done in a very sophisticated, often luxurious manner.
Yes. It can imply something is overly showy, pretentious, or prioritizing appearance over substance, depending on context.
No, it's relatively low-frequency and belongs to a more formal or descriptive register, common in writing about design, fashion, and luxury lifestyles.
Concepts like 'low-key style', 'modest style', 'utilitarian design', or 'plainness' serve as antonyms, though there's no single fixed opposite phrase.
A sophisticated, elaborate, or very fashionable manner of doing something, especially in design, fashion, or living.
High style is usually formal in register.
High style: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhaɪ ˈstaɪl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhaɪ ˈstaɪl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Live in high style”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'high' tower made of 'style'—it's style taken to its highest, most elevated level.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUALITY IS HEIGHT (high status, high quality, high style).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'high style' LEAST likely to be used?