Definition

Noun: 1. The main street of a town or city, typically lined with shops and businesses: The term "high street" refers to the primary commercial and retail thoroughfare in a town center, often considered the focal point for shopping and community activity.

Usage

The word "high street" is used as a singular noun, often preceded by "the." It specifically denotes the central shopping street, distinguishing it from smaller side streets or residential roads. It is a common term in British English; in American English, "main street" is the more typical equivalent.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Most of the town's banks and major retailers are located on the high street.
  • The new pedestrian zone has made the high street much more pleasant for shoppers.
  • Small independent shops are struggling to compete with large chains on the high street.

Advanced Usage

• "The high street" as a concept: The term is often used metonymically to refer to the traditional retail sector as a whole, especially in discussions about economic trends.
  • Online shopping continues to pose a major challenge for the high street.
• As a modifier: It can function as an adjective (often hyphenated as "high-street") to describe things typical of or found on such a street.
  • She prefers high-street fashion to designer labels.
  • It's a popular high-street bank with branches nationwide.

Variants and Related Words

• High-street (adj.): Used attributively to describe shops, brands, banks, or fashion that are commonly found on main shopping streets and are accessible to the general public.
  • high-street stores, high-street prices

Synonyms

• Main street: (Chiefly North American) The principal street of a small town.
• Town center: The central part of a town where commercial and social activities are concentrated.
• Shopping street: A street lined with many shops.

Idioms and Phrases

• The death of the high street: A phrase describing the perceived decline of traditional brick-and-mortar retail in town centers.
  • Many blame out-of-town retail parks for the death of the high street.

Noun

1. street that serves as a principal thoroughfare for traffic in a town