English Meaning & Definitions
In a condescending, haughty, or patronizing manner; looking down upon someone.
- “She looked at the new intern de haut en bas, clearly unimpressed by his lack of experience.”
- “The aristocrat treated the commoners de haut en bas throughout the entire dinner party.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “de haut en bas”.
A French phrase literally translating to 'from high to low.' It entered the English lexicon as a loan phrase to describe a condescending or haughty manner, reflecting the physical metaphor of looking down upon someone from a superior position.
Think of 'haut' as 'height' (high) and 'bas' as 'base' (low); you are looking from the height to the base.
Frequently Asked Questions About “de haut en bas”
1. What is the meaning of “de haut en bas” in English?
In English, de haut en bas (adverb) is defined as: “In a condescending, haughty, or patronizing manner; looking down upon someone.”.
2. How do you use “de haut en bas” in a sentence?
“She looked at the new intern de haut en bas, clearly unimpressed by his lack of experience.”
3. What are English synonyms of “de haut en bas”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “de haut en bas”?
A French phrase literally translating to 'from high to low.' It entered the English lexicon as a loan phrase to describe a condescending or haughty manner, reflecting the physical metaphor of looking down upon someone from a superior position.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.