highfalutin

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments (2)  · 
“
The rhetoric of them is very highfalutin, and the flattery would be nauseating if one did not remember that it was largely a matter of fashion.

View all »
Definitions (5)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. adjective Informal Pompous or pretentious: "highfalutin reasons for denying direct federal assistance to the unemployed” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.)
  2. Regional Note
    H.L. Mencken, in his famous book The American Language, mentions highfalutin as an example of the many native U.S. words coined during the 19th-century period of vigorous growth. Although highfalutin is characteristic of American folk speech, it is not a true regionalism because it has always occurred in all regions of the country, with its use and popularity spurred by its appearance in print. The origin of highfalutin, like that of many folk expressions, is obscure. It has been suggested that the second element, -falutin, comes from the verb flute—hence high-fluting, a comical indictment of people who think too highly of themselves.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (2)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

Toggle elsewhere links Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

  • It sounds a bit highfalutin, but I suppose it was just my beastly pride. —  Pilgrim’s Rest - Patricia Wentworth - Miss Silver 10: 1946
  • Faith must be the center of life - but this faith must not seem depressing, anti-fun, highfalutin, or carry with it any sentiment that makes one afraid that life is all sin, or that life cannot be enjoyable. —  Conservapedia - Recent changes [en]
  • Poodles may look highfalutin, but they are way intelligent and well-behaved —  ParentDish
  • They did not say, 'We air a go-ahead people,' they were not given to 'highfalutin',' nor did they chew their tobacco. —  To The Gold Coast for Gold, Vol. II A Personal Narrative
  • Jessica had long been a favorite with her, and Brown seemed non-committal Mr. Geary looked at her sharply, but she said the name glibly, and Jessica was what he called "highfalutin" enough to fit her evident station in life, so he made no comment Where do you live?" —  Marjorie at Seacote
More examples »
 

Tags

highfalutin hasn't been tagged yet.

Sign up or sign in to add tags.

Stats

This word has been looked up 425 times.

1 person has marked this word as a favorite.

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

flickr images

Add a related word »
Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Suggestions Wordniks Suggest

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Origin unknown.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Also, rarely, highfaluting; also spelled highfaluten, hifalutin; a slang term, equivalent in popular apprehension to high-flying, high-flown; the second element being of no definite origin or meaning.
 

Pronunciations
Record your own »
/ˈhaɪfəˈljutɪn/
by American Heritage

Charts
frequency chart

Bubble size: how much this word was used in a year

Bubble height: used more or less than expected, vs. all uses evenly distributed

You can expect to see this word about twice a year.

Recently looked up

fonda · known · comparatively · Weighing · aficionado

Recent Favorites

pygopagus · sanglant · Astacus · sweetbread · qualms

Recent Pronunciations

eu oi oìa u ou e u oìa · the octopi are dry · Kansas City · spell it rite · put it in your pocket