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Synonyms

high-five

American  
[hahy-fahyv] / ˈhaɪˈfaɪv /
Or high five

noun

  1. a gesture of congratulation, solidarity, or greeting in which one person slaps the upraised palm of the hand against that of another.

verb (used with object)

  1. to congratulate, express solidarity with, or greet (a person) with a high-five.

    I'm such a couch potato that I'd love to high-five the genius who invented remote controls.

verb (used without object)

  1. to exchange high-fives.

    After pulling out a win, the players noisily high-fived before leaving the court.
high-five British  

noun

  1. a gesture of greeting or congratulation in which two people slap raised right palms together

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to greet or congratulate (a person) in this way

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of high-five

First recorded in 1975–80 ( five in reference to the five fingers of the hand)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“This is pure geopolitical nitro, leaving bulls high-fiving over the chokepoint drama,” he noted.

From MarketWatch

“This is pure geopolitical nitro, leaving bulls high-fiving over the chokepoint drama,” he noted.

From MarketWatch

At the end of their visit they also stopped to spend 25 minutes in the heavy rain chatting to well-wishers, with Catherine giving high-fives and hugs and William posing for selfies.

From BBC

A big social media user, he made early posts about L.A. lifestyle experiences — riding a horse past the Hollywood sign and skydiving while signing “I heart LAUSD” — prompting more eye-rolls than high-fives.

From Los Angeles Times

Suncream's being slathered on, high-fives are flowing as freely as the cold drinks.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.