highlife: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “highlife” mean?
A style of West African popular music blending local rhythms with Western instruments.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A style of West African popular music blending local rhythms with Western instruments.
A luxurious, glamorous lifestyle enjoyed by the wealthy or fashionable elite; also refers to the social scene of the rich.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In both varieties, the musical sense is niche and known mainly to enthusiasts of African music. The lifestyle sense is more common, with roughly equal usage.
Connotations
In the lifestyle sense, can have positive (glamour, success) or negative (decadence, superficiality) connotations depending on context.
Frequency
Low frequency overall; higher in contexts discussing African culture, music, or social commentary on wealth.
Grammar
How to Use “highlife” in a Sentence
live + the + highlife (verb phrase)the highlife + of + [place/group]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “highlife” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They've been highlifing in Monaco all summer.
American English
- After his promotion, he's been highlifing around town.
adverb
British English
- They lived highlife, travelling by private jet.
American English
- He spent his bonus highlife, buying champagne for everyone.
adjective
British English
- The club had a distinct highlife vibe.
American English
- She dressed in a highlife style for the gala.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in marketing or branding to denote premium, luxury goods/services (e.g., 'highlife condos').
Academic
Appears in ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and sociology papers.
Everyday
Used to describe an extravagant lifestyle (e.g., 'After the lottery win, they were living the highlife').
Technical
In musicology, refers to a specific genre with defined instrumentation and rhythmic patterns.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “highlife”
- Misspelling as two words ('high life') when referring to the genre or as a fixed concept.
- Using incorrect definite article: 'live highlife' should be 'live the highlife'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when referring to the music genre or the specific concept of a luxurious lifestyle, it is a single compound noun. The phrase 'live the high life' is sometimes written as two words.
Informally, yes (e.g., 'a highlife party'), but it is primarily a noun. Dictionaries often list it only as a noun.
It developed in Ghana in the early 20th century, fusing Akan rhythms with Western brass band and guitar music, later spreading across West Africa.
It is context-dependent. It can be positive (celebrating success, culture) or negative (criticising extravagance and inequality).
A style of West African popular music blending local rhythms with Western instruments.
Highlife is usually neutral in register.
Highlife: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhaɪlaɪf/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhaɪˌlaɪf/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “live the high life”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'HIGH' society + LIFEstyle = highlife (the glamorous life of the rich).
Conceptual Metaphor
WEALTH/STATUS IS HEIGHT (being 'high' in society).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'highlife' most specific?