as in intellectual
much given to learning and thinking
finally, a TV series that appeals to a highbrow audience
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
guests at her elegant dinner parties are a mix of the city's highbrows and captains of industry
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of highbrow
David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
This one, with its crispy edges and bubbling, cheesy topping, is impossible for even your most highbrow guests to resist.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Tár is its highbrow counterpart, teasing and celebrating the same personal crisis and class issues.
—Armond White, National Review, 27 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for highbrow
Adjective
That was broad enough comedy, but highbrow shenanigans can leave people feeling left out.
—Noun
The roll call of films ranges from the highbrow to the decidedly grungy, the menu of a true movie fanatic.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for highbrow
Adjective
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But if nothing changes, the future of conservative politics will see much of the anti-semitic rhetoric as a badge of intellectual honesty.—
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With that being said, when Venus squares Pluto, the clash between emotional intensity (Scorpio) and intellectual detachment (Aquarius) is undeniable.—
Adjective
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The book was created using a biological, sensual craft, as well as a cerebral one.—
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Much of this lovely, cerebral film unfolds in a cozy Manhattan high-rise, a Christmas tree twinkling in the background as snow falls outside.—
Adjective
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Dunn wanted the property to be used as a scholarly and artistic retreat.—
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Rather than relying on decorative excess, the library’s pietra serena framework underscores its role as a working scholarly space.—
Cite this Entry
“Highbrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highbrow. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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