What does "height" mean?
The distance from the base to the top of something.
Height
/haɪt/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The distance from the base to the top of something.
- Grammar: height is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: elevation, peak, stature, tallness.
- Useful contrasts: abysm, depth, lowness.
- Usage evidence: His height is a great advantage when he plays volleyball.
How to use "height"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "height" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "height" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "height" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "height" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "height" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "elevation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "height", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The distance from the base to the top of something. countable, uncountable
"Happiness Makes Up in Height for What It Lacks in Length [title of poem]"
- 2 (of a standing person) the distance from head to foot wordnet
- 3 The distance from the base to the top of something.; The vertical distance from the ground to the highest part of a standing person or animal (withers in the case of a horse). countable, uncountable
"— What's your height? — 180 centimetres."
- 4 elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface wordnet
- 5 The distance from the base to the top of something.; The minimum distance from a vertex of a triangle to (the extension of) the edge opposite, namely along a line perpendicular to the edge. countable, uncountable
"The area of a triangle is "a half base times height"."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top wordnet
- 7 The distance from the base to the top of something.; The amplitude of a sinusoid. countable, uncountable
- 8 the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development wordnet
- 9 The distance of something above the ground or some other chosen level. countable, uncountable
"We flew at a height of 15 000 meters."
- 10 A high point. countable, uncountable
"At length they arrived at the open road, skirted by a wide heath, bounded by the rising heights of the undulating country."
- 11 A high point.; The highest point or maximum degree. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"She's at the height of her career."
- 12 A high point.; A mountain, especially a very high one. countable, uncountable
- 13 A high point.; An area of land at the top of a cliff. countable, uncountable
- 14 A quality of vowels, indicating the vertical position of the tongue relative to the roof of the mouth; in practice, the first formant, associated with the height of the tongue. countable, uncountable
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"His height is a great advantage when he plays volleyball."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "height"?
Common synonyms include: elevation, peak, stature, tallness, acme, acme.
How do you use "height" in a sentence?
His height is a great advantage when he plays volleyball.
How do you pronounce "height"?
Pronounced /haɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English heighte, heiȝþe, from Old English hēahþu, hēhþo, hīehþu (“height”), Proto-West Germanic *hauhiþu, from Proto-Germanic *hauhiþō (compare *hauhaz). Equivalent to high + -t (abstract nominal suffix). Cognates See also Saterland Frisian Höchte, Hööchte (“height”), West Frisian hichte (“height”), Dutch hoogte (“height”), Middle High German hœhede, hœhte (“height”), Old Norse hæð (“height”) (compare Swedish höjd, Norwegian høyde), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸𐌰 (hauhiþa, “height”).
Etymology 2
English surname, spelling variant of Hight.