Highbrow

adj, noun

adj, noun ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A cultured or learned person or thing. derogatory, sometimes
  2. 2
    a person of intellectual or erudite tastes wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Intellectually stimulating, highly cultured, sophisticated. derogatory, sometimes

    "highbrow entertainment"

Adjective
  1. 1
    highly cultured or educated wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
highbrowedaestheteaestheticbookishbrahminbrain

Example

More examples

"Phil would never take part in an activity as highbrow as going to the opera."

Etymology

A compound of the words high + brow, first recorded usage in 1875. Referring to the (by that time discredited) science of phrenology, which suggested that a person of intelligence and sophistication would possess a higher brow-line than someone of lesser intelligence and sophistication.

More for "highbrow"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.