highborn
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Of noble birth or lineage: Belonging to a family of high social rank, especially the aristocracy or peerage; having a hereditary title.
Usage
The adjective "highborn" is used to describe a person whose family has belonged to the highest social class, typically the nobility, for generations. It emphasizes inherited status and aristocratic heritage rather than personal wealth or achievement. * It is a formal and somewhat literary term. * It is typically used as an attributive adjective (placed before the noun it modifies).
Examples
- The highborn lady was expected to marry within her own social circle.
- Despite his highborn status, the duke was known for his kindness to the common people.
- Tales of chivalry often feature highborn knights and fair maidens.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used figuratively or with slight irony to describe someone who acts with an air of superior breeding or entitlement, regardless of their actual birth.
- He had the refined manners and highborn disdain of someone raised in a palace, though he came from a very ordinary family.
Variants and Related Words
- High-born (hyphenated variant): An alternative spelling, especially common in older texts.
- Noble (adj): Similar in meaning, but a more common and general term for belonging to the aristocracy.
- Aristocratic (adj): Pertaining to the aristocracy; suggestive of noble birth or manners.
- Blue-blooded (adj, idiomatic): Having an aristocratic background.
Synonyms
- Noble
- Aristocratic
- Patrician
- Titled
- Of noble birth
Antonyms
- Lowborn
- Common
- Plebeian
- Humble (in terms of origin)
Related Idioms
- To the manner born: Seemingly naturally suited to a particular role or lifestyle due to one's high-born upbringing.
- She handled the diplomatic reception with ease, as if to the manner born.
Adjective
- belonging to the peerage
- the princess and her coroneted companions
- the titled classes