height

noun

HYT/haɪt/

7 meanings of height

1
how tallnouncountable or uncountable
How tall someone or something is, measured from the bottom to the top.
Like a mark on a doorframe that shows how tall you have grown.
The nurse wrote down each child's height at the yearly checkup.
Her height gave her an advantage on the basketball court.
UsageSay in height after a number: two meters in height.
2
distance upnouncountable
How far up something is above the ground or another level.
Like how far up a kite is from the ground.
The plane reached a great height above the clouds.
Birds glided at a safe height over the lake.
UsageUse at a height of with a number: at a height of ten meters.
Similaraltitude
Oppositedepth
Note
3
highest degreenounfigurativelyusually singular
The strongest or most extreme point of something.
Like the very top of a hill: the highest part of all.
At the height of the storm, no one dared go outside.
Her singing career reached its height in her thirties.
UsageUsually said as at the height of something, like at the height of summer.
Similarpeak, summit, climax, pinnacle, zenith
Oppositenadir, low, trough
Note
4
high placenouncountable
A high place, like a hill, a mountain, or the top of a cliff.
The old fort sits on a rocky height above the river.
The soldiers set up their camp on the heights above the town.
UsageSay on the heights for high ground, and afraid of heights for fear of high places.

Less common meanings

5
trianglenouncountable
The distance from a triangle's corner to the line through the opposite side, measured at a right angle to that line.
Like a straight line dropping from a roof peak down to the floor.
To find the area, multiply the base by the height and divide by two.
The teacher drew the height from the top corner down to the bottom side.
Similaraltitude
Note
6
wave sizenouncountable
The size of a wave, measured from its middle line to its top.
Engineers increased the wave's height to send a stronger signal.
On the screen, the height of the wave grew as the music got louder.
Similaramplitude
Note
7
noun
How high or low the tongue sits in the mouth when you say a vowel.

Practice

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Origin

From Old English hēahþu, meaning "height." It comes from the word "high" plus an ending that turns it into a noun.

Checked 7 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Height derives from Old English hēahþu, meaning “height.” en.wiktionary.org
The word combines “high” with a noun-forming suffix. en.wiktionary.org