highest

1. 1
   adjective

   Superlative form of high.

   The hawk built its nest on the highest branch of the oak.

   Investors rushed in when prices reached their highest level all year.

   Note

   A regular superlative, made by adding -est to high, with higher as the comparative step between them. It carries every meaning of the adjective, so it can rank physical height (the highest peak), level or value (the highest price), or standing (the highest office). Before a noun it usually takes the. After a linking verb it often drops it: the tide is highest at noon.

2. 2
   adverb

   Superlative form of high.

   The kite that climbed highest belonged to the youngest child in the park.

   Her voice soared highest in the final chorus of the performance.

   Note

   The adverb measures how high an action reaches. It follows a verb rather than a noun, as in climbed highest, sang highest or bid highest, and it covers position, pitch and value alike. It is easy to mistake for the adjective in a sentence like the kite flew highest. The test is whether the word describes the action (adverb) or a thing's state after a linking verb such as is (adjective).

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