as in intellectual
much given to learning and thinking
finally, a TV series that appeals to a highbrow audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
guests at her elegant dinner parties are a mix of the city's highbrows and captains of industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of highbrow
Armond White, National Review, 27 Jan. 2023
But in the pandemic’s wake, the chief human resources officer has morphed into a highbrow position, working with CEOs to drive attraction and retention among a myriad of other talent operations.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2023
Margot Robbie, playing Barbie, is clad in an exact re-creation of the original Barbie’s outfit; Gerwig is clearly thinking about the interplay between highbrow and lowbrow, between art and commercialism.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2022
Its first scenes seem to promise an almost self-parodic tour of 21st-century highbrow culture, as Lydia Tár, a world-famous conductor played by Cate Blanchett, is interviewed by the real-life writer Adam Gopnik at the New Yorker Festival.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for highbrow 
Noun
Tár is its highbrow counterpart, teasing and celebrating the same personal crisis and class issues.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Jan. 2023
But in the pandemic’s wake, the chief human resources officer has morphed into a highbrow position, working with CEOs to drive attraction and retention among a myriad of other talent operations.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2023
Margot Robbie, playing Barbie, is clad in an exact re-creation of the original Barbie’s outfit; Gerwig is clearly thinking about the interplay between highbrow and lowbrow, between art and commercialism.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2022
Its first scenes seem to promise an almost self-parodic tour of 21st-century highbrow culture, as Lydia Tár, a world-famous conductor played by Cate Blanchett, is interviewed by the real-life writer Adam Gopnik at the New Yorker Festival.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for highbrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highbrow
Adjective
-
Godard’s intellectual approach never turns skeptical.Armond White, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
-
These courses not only demonstrate intellectual curiosity but also highlight a student’s ability to handle the demands of a college curriculum.Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
If Santo Stefano is cerebral, Santa Sabina is ethereal — as iridescent as a soap bubble but as solid as stone.David Laskin, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
-
The cinematic language Expressionist filmmakers invented was esoteric, literally and figuratively shadowy, cerebral, and heavily symbolic.Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
There is a lot of scholarly research regarding the ins and outs of wintertime blues.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
-
But plenty of scholarly studies have confirmed formaldehyde’s presence in our everyday lives and mirror our findings.Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near highbrow
Cite this Entry
“Highbrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highbrow. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share