on high

Meaning

1. To a high position; or up in, or to, the sky; above.
2. (literary, specifically) Up in, or to, Heaven.
3. (humorous) In authority, influence, or power.

Synonyms

above

atop

uppermost

from above

high

high up

upon

upstairs

upwards

exceedingly high

aloft

eminently

Translations

sublime

en haut

omhoog

en las alturas

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɒn ˈhaɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: on heigh

Inherited from Old English: on hēagum

Cognate with Dutch: omhoog

Cognate with Western Frisian: omheech

In summary

From Middle English on heigh, on an heigh (“in or into heaven; up to heaven”) [and other forms], from Old English on hēagum (“on high”); hēagum is an inflected form of hēah (“high; tall”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kewk- (“height; to elevate”). The English word is equivalent to on + high. Compare Dutch omhoog (“upwards, on high”), West Frisian omheech (“upwards”).