High vs. Tall: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Published on November 11, 2023
"High" refers to elevation or position, while "tall" describes the height of an object or person relative to its base.
Key Differences
High and tall are adjectives frequently used to denote vertical measurements.
"High" primarily addresses the elevation or altitude of something, often in relation to a broader context. For instance, a mountain is high because it has significant elevation above sea level. Conversely, "tall" specifically focuses on the height of an entity from its base to its top.
A person is considered tall based on their stature from feet to head. Additionally, high can be used in abstract or qualitative contexts, such as high standards or high quality. On the other hand, tall rarely ventures beyond the quantitative measurement of height. In some contexts, the usage of these words can be interchangeable, like a "high tower" or a "tall tower", but their nuances distinguish their applications.
While both words describe vertical measurements, "high" has broader implications, whereas "tall" primarily focuses on physical stature.
Comparison Chart
Nature
Elevation or position
Height from base to top
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Context
Can be relative to surroundings
Generally self-contained
Usage
Can be abstract (e.g., high hopes)
Mostly quantitative
Interchangeable
Sometimes (e.g., high building/tall building)
Less so outside of physical descriptions
Scope
Broader applications (e.g., high speed, high volume)
Primarily deals with stature
High and Tall Definitions
High
Elevated above ground or a given level.
The plane flew high in the sky.
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Tall
Standing out above others.
The tall building overshadowed its neighbors.
High
Superior in quality or character.
She has high standards.
Tall
Ambitious or idealistic.
She has tall dreams.
High
In a state of euphoria, often due to drugs.
He felt high after taking the medication.
Tall
Having greater height than usual or average.
He is a tall man.
High
Having a relatively great elevation; extending far upward
A high mountain.
A high tower.
Tall
Exaggerated or hard to believe.
That's a tall tale!
High
Extending a specified distance upward
A cabinet ten feet high.
Tall
Extended in a vertical direction.
The tree grew tall over the years.
High
Far or farther from a reference point
Was too high in the offensive zone to take a shot.
Tall
Having greater than ordinary height
A tall woman.
High
Being at or near the peak or culminating stage
The high tourist season.
High summer.
Tall
Having considerable height, especially in relation to width; lofty
Tall trees.
High
Advanced in development or complexity
High forms of animal life.
Higher mathematics.
Tall
Having a specified height
A plant three feet tall.
High
Far removed in time; remote
High antiquity.
Tall
(Informal) Fanciful or exaggerated; boastful
Tall tales of heroic exploits.
High
Slightly spoiled or tainted; gamy. Used of meat.
Tall
Impressively great or difficult
A tall order to fill.
High
Having a bad smell; malodorous.
Tall
(Obsolete) Excellent; fine.
High
Having a pitch corresponding to a relatively large number of sound-wave cycles per second
The high tones of a flute.
Tall
With proud bearing; straight
Stand tall.
High
Raised in pitch; not soft or hushed
A high voice.
Tall
(of a person) Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
Being tall is an advantage in basketball.
High
Situated relatively far from the equator
A high latitude.
Tall
(of a building, etc.) Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent; high.
High
Of great importance
Set a high priority on funding the housing program.
Tall
(of a story) Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.
High
Eminent in rank or status
A high official.
Tall
Smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces (~ 230 ml).
High
Serious; grave
High crimes and misdemeanors.
Tall
(obsolete) Obsequious; obedient.
High
Constituting a climax; crucial
The chase scene is the high point of the film.
Tall
(obsolete) Seemly; suitable; fitting, becoming, comely; attractive, handsome.
High
Characterized by lofty or stirring events or themes
High adventure.
High drama.
Tall
(obsolete) Bold; brave; courageous; valiant.
High
Lofty or exalted in quality or character
A person of high morals.
Tall
(archaic) Fine; proper; admirable; great; excellent.
High
Greater than usual or expected, as in quantity, magnitude, cost, or degree
“A high price has to be paid for the happy marriage with the four healthy children” (Doris Lessing).
Tall
Someone or something that is tall.
High
Favorable
He has a high opinion of himself.
Tall
A clothing size for taller people.
Do you have this in a tall?
High
Of great force or violence
High winds.
Tall
A tall serving of a drink, especially one from Starbucks, which contains 12 ounces.
High
(Informal) Excited or euphoric
High spirits.
Tall
High in stature; having a considerable, or an unusual, extension upward; long and comparatively slender; having the diameter or lateral extent small in proportion to the height; as, a tall person, tree, or mast.
Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall.
High
(Slang) Intoxicated by alcohol or a drug, such as cocaine or marijuana.
Tall
Brave; bold; courageous.
As tall a trenchermanAs e'er demolished a pye fortification.
His companions, being almost in despair of victory, were suddenly recomforted by Sir William Stanley, which came to succors with three thousand tall men.
High
Luxurious; extravagant
High living.
Tall
Fine; splendid; excellent; also, extravagant; excessive.
High
(Linguistics) Of or relating to vowels produced with part of the tongue close to the palate, as in the vowel of tree.
Tall
Great in vertical dimension; high in stature;
Tall people
Tall buildings
Tall trees
Tall ships
High
Of, relating to, or being the gear configuration or setting, as in an automotive transmission, that produces the greatest vehicular speed with respect to engine speed.
Tall
Lofty in style;
He engages in so much tall talk, one never really realizes what he is saying
High
At, in, or to a lofty position, level, or degree
Saw a plane flying high in the sky.
Prices that had gone too high.
Tall
Impressively difficult;
A tall order
High
In an extravagant or luxurious way
Made a fortune and lived high.
Tall
Too improbable to admit of belief;
A tall story
High
A lofty place or region.
High
A high level or degree
Summer temperatures reached an all-time high.
High
The high gear configuration of a transmission.
High
A center of high atmospheric pressure; an anticyclone.
High
(Informal) An excited or euphoric condition
The team was on a high after winning in overtime.
High
(Slang) An intoxicated or euphoric condition induced by alcohol or a drug.
High
Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level:
High
Very elevated; extending or being far above a base; tall; lofty.
The balloon rose high in the sky.
The wall was high.
A high mountain
High
Relatively elevated; rising or raised above the average or normal level from which elevation is measured.
High
Above the batter's shoulders.
The pitch (or: the ball) was high
High
Pertaining to (or, especially of a language: spoken in) in an area which is at a greater elevation, for example more mountainous, than other regions.
High
Having a specified elevation or height; tall.
Three feet high
Three Mount Everests high
High
Elevated in status, esteem, or prestige, or in importance or development; exalted in rank, station, or character.
The oldest of the elves' royal family still conversed in High Elvish.
High
Most exalted; foremost.
The high priest, the high officials of the court, the high altar
High
Of great importance and consequence: grave (if negative) or solemn (if positive).
High crimes, the high festival of the sun
High
Consummate; advanced (e.g. in development) to the utmost extent or culmination, or possessing a quality in its supreme degree, at its zenith.
High (i.e. intense) heat; high (i.e. full or quite) noon; high (i.e. rich or spicy) seasoning; high (i.e. complete) pleasure; high (i.e. deep or vivid) colour; high (i.e. extensive, thorough) scholarship; high tide; high [tourism] season; the High Middle Ages
High
Advanced in complexity (and hence potentially abstract and/or difficult to comprehend).
High
(in several set phrases) Very traditionalist and conservative, especially in favoring older ways of doing things; see e.g. high church, High Tory.
High
Elevated in mood; marked by great merriment, excitement, etc.
In high spirits
High
(of a lifestyle) Luxurious; rich.
High living, the high life
High
Lofty, often to the point of arrogant, haughty, boastful, proud.
A high tone
High
(with "on" or "about") Keen, enthused.
High
With tall waves.
High
Remote (to the north or south) from the equator; situated at (or constituting) a latitude which is expressed by a large number.
High latitude, fish species in high arctic and antarctic areas
High
Large, great (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc).
My bank charges me a high interest rate.
I was running a high temperature and had high cholesterol.
High voltage
High prices
High winds
A high number
High
Having a large or comparatively larger concentration of (a substance, which is often but not always linked by "in" when predicative).
Carrots are high in vitamin A.
Made from a high-copper alloy
High
(acoustics) Acute or shrill in pitch, due to being of greater frequency, i.e. produced by more rapid vibrations (wave oscillations).
The note was too high for her to sing.
High
(phonetics) Made with some part of the tongue positioned high in the mouth, relatively close to the palate.
High
(card games) Greater in value than other cards, denominations, suits, etc.
High
(poker) Having the highest rank in a straight, flush or straight flush.
I have KT742 of the same suit. In other words, a K-high flush.
9-high straight = 98765 unsuited
Royal Flush = AKQJT suited = A-high straight flush
High
(of a card or hand) Winning; able to take a trick, win a round, etc.
North's hand was high. East was in trouble.
High
Strong-scented; slightly tainted/spoiled; beginning to decompose.
Epicures do not cook game before it is high.
The tailor liked his meat high.
High
(informal) intoxicated; under the influence of a mood-altering drug, formerly usually alcohol, but now (from the mid-20th century) usually not alcohol but rather marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc.
High
Near, in its direction of travel, to the (direction of the) wind.
High
Positioned up the field, towards the opposing team's goal.
Our defensive line is too high.
High
In or to an elevated position.
How high above land did you fly?
The desks were piled high with magazines.
High
In or at a great value.
Costs have grown higher this year again.
High
At a pitch of great frequency.
I certainly can't sing that high.
High
A high point or position, literally (as, an elevated place; a superior region; a height; the sky; heaven).or figuratively (as, a point of success or achievement; a time when things are at their best, greatest, most numerous, maximum, etc).
It was one of the highs of his career.
Inflation reached a ten-year high.
High
The maximum atmospheric temperature recorded at a particular location, especially during one 24-hour period.
Today's high was 32 °C.
High
A period of euphoria, from excitement or from an intake of drugs.
That pill gave me a high for a few hours, before I had a comedown.
High
A drug that gives such a high.
High
A large area of elevated atmospheric pressure; an anticyclone.
A large high is centred on the Azores.
High
(card games) The highest card dealt or drawn.
High
(obsolete) Thought; intention; determination; purpose.
High
(obsolete) To rise.
The sun higheth.
High
To hie; to hasten.
High
To hie.
Men must high them apace, and make haste.
High
To rise; as, the sun higheth.
High
Elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as, a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.
High
Regarded as raised up or elevated; distinguished; remarkable; conspicuous; superior; - used indefinitely or relatively, and often in figurative senses, which are understood from the connection
High
Elevated in character or quality, whether moral or intellectual; preëminent; honorable; as, high aims, or motives.
High
Possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or superior degree; as, high (i. e., intense) heat; high (i. e., full or quite) noon; high (i. e., rich or spicy) seasoning; high (i. e., complete) pleasure; high (i. e., deep or vivid) color; high (i. e., extensive, thorough) scholarship, etc.
High time it is this war now ended were.
High sauces and spices are fetched from the Indies.
High
Exalted in social standing or general estimation, or in rank, reputation, office, and the like; dignified; as, she was welcomed in the highest circles.
He was a wight of high renown.
High
Strong-scented; slightly tainted; as, epicures do not cook game before it is high.
High
Of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.
High
Acute or sharp; - opposed to grave or low; as, a high note.
High
Of great strength, force, importance, and the like; strong; mighty; powerful; violent; sometimes, triumphant; victorious; majestic, etc.; as, a high wind; high passions.
Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
Can heavenly minds such high resentment show?
High
Made with a high position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate, as ē (ēve), Ō (fŌd). See Guide to Pronunciation, 10, 11.
High
Very abstract; difficult to comprehend or surmount; grand; noble.
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Plain living and high thinking are no more.
High
Costly; dear in price; extravagant; as, to hold goods at a high price.
If they must be good at so high a rate, they know they may be safe at a cheaper.
High
Arrogant; lofty; boastful; proud; ostentatious; - used in a bad sense.
An high look and a proud heart . . . is sin.
His forces, after all the high discourses, amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.
High
In a high manner; in a high place; to a great altitude; to a great degree; largely; in a superior manner; eminently; powerfully.
High
An elevated place; a superior region; a height; the sky; heaven.
High
People of rank or high station; as, high and low.
High
The highest card dealt or drawn.
The dayspring from on high hath visited us.
High
A lofty level or position or degree;
Summer temperatures reached an all-time high
High
An air mass of higher than normal pressure;
The east coast benefits from a Bermuda high
High
A state of sustained elation;
I'm on a permanent high these days
High
A state of altered consciousness induced by alcohol or narcotics;
They took drugs to get a high on
High
A high place;
They stood on high and observed the coutryside
He doesn't like heights
High
A public secondary school usually including grades 9 through 12;
He goes to the neighborhood highschool
High
A forward gear with a gear ratio giving high vehicle velocity for a given engine speed
High
Greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount;
A high temperature
A high price
The high point of his career
High risks
Has high hopes
The river is high
He has a high opinion of himself
High
(literal meanings) being at or having a relatively great or specific elevation or upward extension (sometimes used in combinations like `knee-high');
A high mountain
High ceilings
High buildings
A high forehead
A high incline
A foot high
High
Standing above others in quality or position;
People in high places
The high priest
Eminent members of the community
High
Used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency
High
Happy and excited and energetic
High
Used of the smell of game beginning to taint
High
Slightly and pleasantly intoxicated from alcohol or a drug (especially marijuana)
High
At a great altitude;
He climbed high on the ladder
High
In or to a high position, amount, or degree;
Prices have gone up far too high
High
In a rich manner;
He lives high
High
Far up toward the source;
He lives high up the river
High
Great in quantity or amount.
The demand for the product was high.
High
Intense or extreme in degree.
The stakes are high in this game.
FAQs
Is "tall" only used for living beings?
No, "tall" can describe any object with notable height.
Can "high" and "tall" be used interchangeably?
Sometimes, but not always, due to their distinct nuances.
Can "high" refer to things other than altitude?
Yes, "high" can refer to intensity, quantity, or quality.
What's another word for "high" in a musical context?
Pitch. A "high pitch" refers to a sound with a high frequency.
Can "high" describe intensity?
Yes, as in "high volume" or "high pressure."
Is a "tall glass" only about the glass's height?
Primarily, though it might also imply more volume.
Is a "tall story" about height?
No, it refers to an exaggerated or unbelievable tale.
What's the opposite of "high" in terms of position?
Low.
What's the opposite of "tall" for a person?
Short.
Can "high" refer to emotions?
Yes, as in "high spirits" or feeling emotionally elevated.
How do you differentiate "high chair" from "tall chair"?
A "high chair" is for babies, while a "tall chair" simply has notable height.
Can mountains be described as "tall"?
Yes, but "high" is more commonly used in relation to mountains.
Can a sound be "high"?
Yes, referring to its frequency or pitch.
Can "high" relate to hierarchy?
Yes, as in "high rank" or "high position."
How do you describe a person's height?
Typically, you'd use "tall" or its antonyms like "short."
What does "high tide" refer to?
It refers to the tide when the water is at its highest level.
Can "tall" describe abstract concepts?
Rarely. Its primary usage is in the physical sense.
Is "tall" used in measurements?
Often, especially describing the height of objects or beings.
What's a "tall order"?
A difficult or ambitious task.
How about "tall ship"?
It refers to traditionally rigged sailing vessels.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
