adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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US:/ˌhaɪ.fəˈlu.tɪn/
US:/ˈhaɪ.fəˌlu.tɪn/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:HH AY2 F AH0 L UW1 T IH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, informal
Examples
It's only a matter of time before some highfalutin developer builds a huge hotel and ruins the scenery.
That one Cajun that moved to Austin is too highfalutin to come back to Livingston Parish. He's over there with that mean bread lady!
His speech was very highfalutin.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bombast, hoity-toity, pretentious
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Pompous speech or writing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
affectedly genteel
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Possible an alteration of high-fluting. Another speculation connects the term with high-flighting/-flying. First appears c. 1839 in the Spirit of the Times.
Across languages
Translations
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
надут
(nadut)
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Bulgarian:
превзет
(prevzet)
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Dutch:
hoogdravend
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Dutch:
arrogant
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Finnish:
pöyhkeilevä
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
German:
arrogant
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
German:
anmaßend
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
German:
hochfahrend
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
German:
hochtrabend
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
German:
hochgestochen
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
German:
pompös
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Hungarian:
dagályos
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Hungarian:
nagyhangú
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Norwegian Bokmål:
høyttravende
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Norwegian Bokmål:
pompøs
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Polish:
ą-ę
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Polish:
pretensjonalny
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Portuguese:
metido
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Romanian:
pompos
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Russian:
напы́щенный
(napýščennyj)
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Serbo-Croatian:
nadut
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Serbo-Croatian:
napuhan
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Serbo-Croatian:
naduven
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Spanish:
pomposo
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Spanish:
creído
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Swedish:
högtravande
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
Swedish:
pompös
— (informal) self-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical
