pretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals); "high-flown talk of preserving the moral tone of the school"; "a high-sounding dissertation on the means to attain social revolution"
high-flown
How to use high-flown in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for high-flown.
Editorial note
That's a more high-flown version of what used to be called a "Java school": Pure job training, no theory, no concept of advancing the field.
Quick take
pretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals); "high-flown talk of preserving the moral tone of the school"; "a high-sounding dissertation on the means to attain social revolution"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of high-flown gathered in one view.
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; "an exalted ideal"; "argue in terms of high-flown ideals"- Oliver Franks; "a noble and lofty concept"; "a grand purpose"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for high-flown.
adjective
pretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals); "high-flown talk of preserving the moral tone of the school"; "a high-sounding dissertation on the means to attain social revolution"
See also: high-sounding, inflated
adjective
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; "an exalted ideal"; "argue in terms of high-flown ideals"- Oliver Franks; "a noble and lofty concept"; "a grand purpose"
Example sentences
That's a more high-flown version of what used to be called a "Java school": Pure job training, no theory, no concept of advancing the field.
A disappointing essay which barely mentions Chauteaubriand's writing and dismisses it in a few words as "high-flown and formal".
I know that I don't expect this, and my papers are no works of high-flown genius, just highly specialised and domain-specific so that even the people most interested in using the results probably won't be as interested in the techniques.
The paperclip stuff is a hackneyed cliché, old gray goo in new nanobottles, the sort of thing high-flown thinkers do when they want to explain the meat of their high-flown thinking to the intellectual hoi polloi, who can't be expected to get around genuine complexity.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use high-flown in a sentence?
That's a more high-flown version of what used to be called a "Java school": Pure job training, no theory, no concept of advancing the field.
What does high-flown mean?
pretentious (especially with regard to language or ideals); "high-flown talk of preserving the moral tone of the school"; "a high-sounding dissertation on the means to attain social revolution"
What part of speech is high-flown?
high-flown is commonly used as adjective.